Arsenal legend Paul Merson has warned Chelsea that failing to qualify for the Champions League would be a “monumental failure”.
According to Merson, Chelsea’s current form is not up to the standard of a top-five Premier League team.
The 58-year-old, who stated this in his latest Sky Sports column, admitted that he was very disappointed with Chelsea’s display against Sunderland last weekend.
“I am very, very disappointed with Chelsea’s performance at Sunderland. They simply did not play to their expected level,” Merson said.
“The consistency they are showing now is not up to the standard of a top-five Premier League team. Chelsea’s goal is to qualify for the Champions League.
“If they don’t make it to the Champions League, it will be a huge failure, a monumental failure.”
Chelsea failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing outside of the Premier League top five last season.