Chelsea’s away record has been woeful in 2023, and they could match a 23-year record against Luton on Saturday.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have lost each of their last four Premier League away games. They haven’t lost five on the bounce away from home in the league since December 2000, when Claudio Ranieri was in charge.
It’s been a torrid 2023 for the Blues, with them picking up the third-fewest points of any side in the Premier League for the entire calendar year.
Chelsea have just 45 points from 42 games this year, which would give them 40 points if their form was translated over a 38-game season. It’s been some fall from grace for the side which won the UEFA Champions League just two years ago.
Barely above relegation form, they have been particularly bad away from home.
Chelsea’s Away Form In 2023
This year, Chelsea have played 23 times away from home in all competitions. They have won just five of those, losing 14 and drawing four. In the league, their three wins on the road this season have them 12th in the away Premier League standings.
Their home form has been little better, though. With four wins from ten at Stamford Bridge in 2023/24, their 2-1 victory against Crystal Palace last time out took them up to 11th in the home form table.
Noni Madueke's late penalty gives Chelsea all 3 points against Crystal Palace 🔵 pic.twitter.com/oHGWKdYoQf
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 27, 2023
Even that result took a late penalty to secure victory, against an opponent they have beaten in their last 12 league meetings.
Such has been the struggle for Chelsea that only Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace have picked up fewer points this year from the same number of games.
Chelsea’s Worst Away Runs
And yet they have still not equalled their worst run this century. Ranieri’s Chelsea actually managed to finish sixth in the table that season, qualifying for the UEFA Cup.
But it was thanks in no part to an awful run of results away from home in December 2000. They lost 1-0 at Sunderland to start things off, before defeats at Southampton, Charlton, Middlesbrough and Everton.
Not only did they lose five away games on the spin in the league, they also lost to Liverpool in the League Cup and FC St. Gallen in Europe to make it seven consecutive away losses in all competitions.
They did not win away from home from April 2000 until January 2001, a 17-game streak. For them to match such a dreadful run this season, they would have to go winless on the road for the remainder of 2023/24.
While things aren’t quite so bleak for Mauricio Pochettino’s men, they will certainly be hoping to pick up their away form well before people start to compare it to 23 years ago.
Not least of all because Ranieri’s awful spell did not come off the back of spending £1 billion on transfer fees in just two seasons, as they have done under new owner Todd Boehly.
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