Chelsea out of Europe: Premier League catastrophe against Sunderland as Calum McFarlane hands wounded squad to Xabi Alonso

Chelsea have missed out on European football, finishing 10th in the Premier League table after Calum McFarlane's final game in charge.

The Blues concluded their campaign on Sunday against Sunderland, with Europa League football still a possibility, though their 2-1 defeat condemned them to a 10th-placed finish.

Perhaps the club will look back at the dismissal of Enzo Maresca in January as their biggest mistake, especially considering they were fifth when he was sacked.

Liam Rosenior was brought in as his replacement, before he was dismissed too, and interim boss McFarlane was only able to end the season with 52 points, 17 fewer than they totalled in 2024-25.

To make matters worse, the Blues would have secured Europa League football had they won the FA Cup, but their 1-0 loss in the final against Manchester City on May 16 meant they also ended trophyless.

Brighton, Bournemouth? Who qualified for Europe at Chelsea's expense?

While Chelsea fans are disappointed, there is reason for celebration for a host of clubs, with Brighton & Hove Albion, Sunderland, and Bournemouth all qualifying for Europe.

Brighton will be seen as one of the favourites to win the Conference League next term, and Sunderland fans could not have imagined that their team would be playing Europa League football given they were competing in the Championship in 2024-25.

Bournemouth could have secured Champions League football on Sunday, but Man City failed to beat Aston Villa and Liverpool failed to beat Brentford, though a place in the Europa League is hardly a poor prize to walk away with.

Chelsea's worrying trajectory: Can Xabi Alonso save the club?

The 2025-26 season continued a worrying trend under ownership consortium BlueCo, who have guided the club to 12th, sixth, fourth and 10th under their stewardship.

Chelsea's finishes in that time are made even more shocking by the fact that they have spent significantly in excess of £1b on players since taking over in 2022.

The Londoners have often looked to sign younger players with hopes of developing them to their full potential, though that approach has clearly failed.

Incoming boss Xabi Alonso is said to have secured major control over transfers, and perhaps he will have more success than the likes of Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior as a result.

There is also the argument that the lack of European football will allow the former Real Madrid manager to work more closely with his squad next season, though extra focus on domestic competitions will come with increased expectation to succeed and potentially deliver silverware.

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