Gary Neville has voiced his belief that Chelsea are on the verge of returning to the heights of Premier League title contention but are still a couple of key signings away from achieving that ambition. His comments came after Chelsea’s narrow 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, a match that highlighted both the potential and the remaining gaps in the squad’s capabilities. According to Neville, the solution lies in upgrading two critical positions—the striker and goalkeeper—if the club wants to return to its former glory.
The former Manchester United defender specifically pointed to Nicolas Jackson and Robert Sanchez as areas in need of improvement. While Jackson has shown promise with his goal-scoring abilities, netting five goals and providing three assists in eight Premier League games this season, Neville believes Chelsea lacks the world-class firepower needed to challenge for titles consistently. Similarly, he identified Sanchez as a weak link between the posts, urging Chelsea to secure a top-level goalkeeper to solidify their defense.
Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took ownership in May 2022, Chelsea has been the Premier League’s biggest spender, shelling out over £1 billion across four transfer windows. This unprecedented investment, which included three of the most expensive windows in Premier League history, was intended to revamp the squad and restore the club to its dominant days. However, despite these efforts, the team is still a work in progress, and Neville has pinpointed the areas where Chelsea needs to invest further to become serious title contenders.
The defeat to Liverpool, despite being a closely contested match, exposed Chelsea’s developmental stage compared to their opponents. While Chelsea came out with energy and drive, Liverpool’s more composed and experienced approach, combined with effective in-game management by Jurgen Klopp, allowed them to grind out a result. Neville argued that this disparity underlined Chelsea’s need for patience and further refinement of the squad.
Yet, it’s not all gloom for Chelsea. Neville also acknowledged the positive influence of manager Enzo Maresca, who has instilled a sense of belief among both players and fans. Under his guidance, the team is seen as progressing ahead of schedule in their quest to challenge the top teams again. The former Leicester City assistant has brought a fresh tactical approach, and there’s optimism around Stamford Bridge that brighter days are indeed ahead.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ “The Gary Neville Podcast,” Neville delved deeper into Chelsea’s attacking conundrum. He stressed that while Nicolas Jackson has performed admirably, leading the line for Chelsea, the team still needs a proven, world-class striker to compete at the highest level. “I don’t want to be too critical of Jackson,” Neville said, “because he’s done well in patches, but a world-class striker in that role could transform this Chelsea side into genuine contenders. It’s about aligning the talent on the pitch with the ambition of winning titles.”
Neville further elaborated that the two most challenging positions in football are the centre-forward and goalkeeper. He emphasized that these roles hold the most influence over a team’s success or failure, and securing top-tier talent in these areas would propel Chelsea to the next level. “If they can sign a striker and a goalkeeper of world-class caliber,” he stated, “I genuinely believe Chelsea could pose a significant threat to the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal in the next few seasons.”
His co-pundit, Jamie Carragher, echoed similar sentiments when discussing Robert Sanchez’s performance. Reflecting on Chelsea’s defensive lapse that led to Liverpool’s winning goal, Carragher criticized the goalkeeper for failing to assert himself in a crucial moment. “It’s very disappointing from Chelsea’s perspective,” Carragher remarked. “Reece James just strolls in there, and the goalkeeper doesn’t do enough. Sanchez has to make himself known and win that ball. Curtis Jones didn’t even have a great touch, but Sanchez didn’t react the way a top goalkeeper should.”
Carragher’s comments reinforced the idea that for Chelsea to regain their dominance, they need to address the goalkeeper position with urgency. In modern football, a commanding presence in goal is vital, and Sanchez’s current performances have raised doubts about his ability to handle the pressures of being the last line of defense for a title-challenging team.
Neville and Carragher’s assessments paint a clear picture: Chelsea is on the brink of success, but the final pieces of the puzzle are yet to be put in place. The massive investment made by Boehly and Clearlake Capital has provided a solid foundation, but Chelsea needs to bolster their spine with world-class additions in order to compete with the Premier League’s elite once more. The club’s faithful will be hoping that the next transfer window brings the necessary reinforcements to realize the full potential of this evolving squad.