Where is the lowest Chelsea have finished in the Premier League?

Chelsea are a club synonymous with Premier League glory, but the Blues haven't always been draped in silverware.

The west Londoners, in essence, embarked on a natual upward trajectory during the 90s, establishing themselves as one of the league's best by the end of the decade. They were well-placed to challenge the Premier League's dominant forces at the start of the 21st century, and a certain Russian billionaire gave them the artificial boost they required to upset the division's aristocracy.

Only Manchester City have hoisted aloft Premier League trophies since Roman Abramovich got bored and decided he wanted a piece of the footballing pie. Chelsea ascended to previously unrecognisable heights during the Russian's ownership, but an enforced departure in 2022 facilitated a sense of uneasiness and, perhaps even for a short while, the mediocrity of the early 90s.

Like every Premier League club, the immensely successful Blues have endured their fair share of stinking seasons. Here's a reminder of a few of their worst.

Chelsea's worst finishes in Premier League history

Chelsea were a mediocre top-flight outfit during the first half of the 90s, but only twice did they finish in the bottom half of the table. Between 1992/93 and 1994/95, 22 teams competed in the Premier League which meant the Blues' 11th-place finishes in 1992/92 and 1994/95 saw them squeak into the top half.

In 1993/94, however, they finished 14th which is their lowest Premier League finish to date. They notched 51 points from 42 games - an average of 1.214 points per game. Their PPG average wasn't quite as poor in 1995/96 (1.31) when they finished 11th, a figure that was matched 20 years later during the Blues' infamous 2015/16 season.

After Jose Mourinho guided Chelsea to the title in 2014/15 with an 87-point haul, the Blues then embarked on the joint-worst title defence in Premier League history as they finished with 50 points and a tenth-place finish.

Mourinho's final season was ugly, yet the Blues, after Guus Hiddink came to their aid, still fared better than they did seven years later at the start of the Todd Boehly era in west London.

2022/23 is, by some distance, the worst season in Chelsea's Premier League history. The campaign started with optimism and Thomas Tuchel at the helm but concluded with interim boss Frank Lampard performing a salvaging act. In between all that was an era quickly dashed from the club's collective consciousness.

Graham Potter was never cut out for the rigours of Stamford Bridge, and while Tuchel and Lampard each contributed to Chelsea's measly points tally of 44, Potter was in charge for much of the wretched season. Boehly's recruitment scattergun admittedly left the former Brighton boss with an awfully unbalanced squad, and Potter went on to win just four league games after winning his first three during his seven months at the helm.

A dire end to the season with a returning Lampard meant the Blues averaged a mere 1.15 points per game and scored just 38 goals - an all-time Premier League low for the club.

Chelsea's worst Premier League seasons

LISTEN NOW

On this edition of Son of Chelsea, part of the 90min podcast network, Daniel Childs reacts to Frank Lampard's return as caretaker manager and reports that Luis Enrique could be the club's new permanent boss. If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!