Chelsea have been dealt a blow in their bid to get back up to speed with the top four after rivals Liverpool were sent packing from the Carabao Cup. The Reds were holders of the competition after beating Chelsea on penalties in the final earlier this year but won't be defending their crown.
An electric 3-2 win for Manchester City was played out on Thursday night in the two sides' first game back since the World Cup. The Premier League is next up on the agenda though with Boxing Day fixtures acting as the post-World Cup treat fans have been waiting for.
Chelsea don't play until December 27 and will be able to watch their top-four rivals set the standards first before issuing their own response under Graham Potter.
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When it comes to the table it isn't a pretty sight for Blues fans with Chelsea currently eighth in the league and able to drop into the bottom half before they kick off against Bournemouth if the results go against them.
Potter will be looking up though with 24 matches still to play in the league. Brighton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Spurs, Newcastle and Arsenal are all above them before the next game week gets underway with Spurs eight points ahead in fourth. Antonio Conte's men have played a game extra though.
In a small blow for the second half of the season though, Liverpool have joined Spurs and Arsenal in exiting the Carabao Cup, freeing up their fixture list for the coming months.
After the physical pressure that was already mounted onto players following the World Cup the upcoming weeks and months will be a serious test for clubs that have seen their stars participating in Qatar. Chelsea had already been knocked out of the tournament, allowing them an extra period of rest in the new year, and they may have hoped Liverpool would have had another match to play.
Jurgen Klopp's side losing means that both teams will have similar schedules until European football returns once more in 2023. Chelsea are just one point behind Liverpool but had created an early gap before losing four of their last five league games. The pair meet for the first time this season on January 21.
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