Not Fab to miss top four
® CESC FABREGAS says Chelsea should start preparing for next season.
Sunday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham effectively ended any realistic hope of finishing in the top four.
Champions League qualification has gone in the eyes of boss Antonio Conte and his players.
Midfielder Fabregas said: “The top four seems very unlikely now. So it’s all about preparing for next season.”
Whether Conte is still around then is uncertain, with Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri being lined up to take over.
Blues captain Gary Cahill says there is zero chance of catching fourth-placed Spurs, who are 10 points ahead.
Slip
“A good team is not going to let that kind of lead slip,” said Cahill. “If you’re a good side, which they are, it doesn’t slip.”
Chelsea face the prospect of Europa League football for the second time in three years, although their FA Cup semi-final against Southampton later this month could save the day.
Cahill said: “We don’t give up on anything, but we know the season hasn’t gone to plan. We have the FA Cup to rescue it.”
Star man Eden Hazard wants to end the season on a high. He said: “I hope, for the fans and ourselves, that we can achieve something.
“You want to be in the Champions League every year but last year we didn’t play in it and we won the title. Sometimes a bad thing can create a good thing.”