Jamie Carragher makes huge Chelsea U-turn as fresh 2024/25 prediction made | OneFootball

Chelsea have made a positive start to the 2024/25 season and it has caught many off guard, including former Liverpool defender and now Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.

Enzo Maresca, who was appointed in the summer by the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership to succeed Mauricio Pochettino, has guided Chelsea into a top four position in the Premier League so far, whilst also winning all of their League Phase games in the Conference League.

Chelsea have a real opportunity to take advantage of their current position and upcoming fixtures between now and the end of the year to cement their position in the bid to qualify for the Champions League next season.

It was a bold decision to bring in Maresca from Leicester City after just one season of senior management, albeit the Foxed did win the Championship to return to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

The decision to part ways with Pochettino was not popular in some quarters, especially from Carragher when he was sharing his predictions for the current season earlier in the summer.

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Carragher slammed Chelsea's transfer approach and cried out for players to stop moving to Stamford Bridge to follow the likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.

"Chelsea have just got to stop buying players, and players have got to stop signing for Chelsea," Carragher said on Monday Night Football back in August.

"If I was a player I don’t know why you would sign for Chelsea, the only reason you would sign is because someone – your agent – might say ‘You’re getting a seven-year deal and that’s guaranteed money for seven years.

“You know what I’d say? Back yourself as a player, sign a four-year deal at a proper club and back yourself to do well, and then when you’re due for a renewal, your money goes up anyway.

“I don’t understand why players are signing seven-year deals.”

Carragher predicted Chelsea would not finish in the top six and believed they'd decline in Maresca's first year in charge.

After just 12 games played in the league and 22 points accrued, Carragher has had a change of heart and is now predicting Chelsea to finish in the top four. Quite the change of stance just a matter of months into the season.

"Chelsea have been so impressive at the start of the season," Carragher admitted. "(They have been) better than I thought they would be. I can't really make a case for them to not be in the top four.

"The fact they've gone out the Carabao Cup early, the European competition they're in. They will go to the end of the season and probably win that competition. It's against very average opposition.

"We know Maresca has played the second team in every game and I think that will continue. I find it very difficult to not put Chelsea in my top four."