Chelsea legend shares reason Blues haven't won the Premier League in almost a decade

It's been almost 10 years since Chelsea's last Premier League title - which came in the form of Antonio Conte's masterclass of 2016/17 - and one former Blues star has explained why the club have struggled

Gus Poyet believes that the relentless Premier League and cup fixture list has hampered Chelsea's pursuit of top-flight success in recent seasons.

The 58-year-old claimed an FA Cup, a Charity Shield, a Cup Winners' Cup and a Super Cup during his stint with the Blues between 1997 and 2001, cementing his legacy in Stamford Bridge folklore. Currently working in football management after guiding Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to the K-League and Korean FA Cup double in 2025, Poyet maintains a keen interest in his former club's fortunes.

However, the past decade has proved a challenging viewing for Chelsea supporters, especially regarding Premier League performances. The Blues haven't claimed the English top-flight crown since Antonio Conte's tactical triumph in 2016/17, and Poyet has offered his theory on what's hampering progress - not only in west London but throughout English football.

Speaking to football.london via Casino.org, the Uruguayan explained: "Now, the problem is that what all the coaches are complaining in the biggest leagues...For example, me, if I put myself, my precisions are very important for me. And the teams, they don't have precision anymore because they don't stop playing.

"And the players, they don't have precision and they keep playing. So if we want to see quality, they need to play less games. If they play less games, there is not that much money because the television pays. So, how many, that nobody knows.

"But the truth is that, at the moment, it's very difficult because Chelsea, it was in an incredible level at the Club World Cup because of what they achieved. And now two months later, they got six, seven injuries.

"You don't know which player is going to play every weekend. They keep playing games every three or four days. It's difficult. It's very difficult."

He added: "I think we are at the level of the championship all over the world, because of the quantity of the game is going down. Yeah. Because the top teams, they can't maintain their level.

"And the bottom teams, they don't play that many games. They're getting better. Crystal Palace, how they started this [season]. So, you can compete in a different way to this one where they're exhausted and where they need to change, change, change, change. So, I think we need to find a balance.

"But, I don't have the answer. I'm not going to say here I know how many games. I always say to the players that complain about it, too many games. Those players need to answer the question, do you think you play too many games in a season? Yes, okay.

"Are you willing to cut your salary 20 per cent and to play five games less? What do you think is going to be the answer? No. They don't complain about playing the games. Because you're getting paid what you're getting paid because of the television.

"Now, for the coaches, it's different, okay. I think that you'd want to work with your team. And we go less and less time to work because it's getting paid. So, when can you train? Pre-season. And now we're taking pre-season away because of the games. So, it's quite difficult to get that methodology right."

Following their efforts under Enzo Maresca this campaign, Chelsea currently occupy fourth position in the Premier League table with eight victories, five draws and four defeats to their name. Next up for the Blues is a journey to Villa Park on Saturday, December 2, where they'll encounter a soaring Aston Villa side who currently hold a seven-point advantage over them in third place.