Jamie Carragher makes big U-turn when asked about Chelsea's chances in Premier League this season

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has backed Chelsea to finish in the top four this season. The pundit admitted that he did not expect the Blues to challenge for the Champions League spots before the season commenced.

The west Londoners have experienced a dramatic overhaul since Todd Boehly and a consortium of investors purchased the club in 2022, with numerous changes to both the squad and the club's management.

Chelsea turned things around and finished sixth in the league table last season under Mauricio Pochettino, despite their turbulent form for most of the campaign. After sacking the Argentine to appoint former Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca in the summer, many were unaware of what to expect this season.

However, the Blues have had a strong start to the campaign, qualifying for the Conference League group stages and the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. They have won three of five Premier League games so far and are fifth in the standings.

Jamie Carragher has been amazed by the club's form so far and sees them as strong contenders to finish in the top four. The former Liverpool defender said on The Overlap (via The Chelsea Chronicle):

“I must say they’ve surprised me a lot. I think especially in the away games. You know those types of results where you haven’t watched the game and then someone tells you Wolves away, and you go wow. West Ham was pretty similar. That feels like a really big result."

He added:

“I didn’t have [Chelsea] anywhere near the top four at the start of the season or thought you could really challenge it, but it looks like now they could.”

The Blues will next face Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (28 September).

Paul Scholes names 2 weak areas in Chelsea's squad

While Jamie Carragher is in awe of Chelsea's start to the season, Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has raised concerns over two key areas in their squad.

The pundit admitted that he's worried about the center-forward and goalkeeper positions at the west London outfit. Speaking on the aforementioned episode of The Overlap, Scholes said (as quoted by Metro):

"We were saying Maresca is going to be the first one gone. These results have almost calmed things down. You look at the squad there is a lot of talent."

"[But] I’m a little bit worried about the centre-forward to be honest. [And] I’m worried about the keeper a little bit."

The Blues' current No.1, Robert Sanchez, has maintained two clean sheets in five Premier League games so far this term. Meanwhile, their center-forwards have been in impressive goalscoring form.

Nicolas Jackson has contributed four goals and two assists across competitions, while Christopher Nkunku has netted six times this season.