An up and down season ended on a positive note when Chelsea peaked just at the right moment to achieve our highest position of the campaign on its final weekend.

Crucially, after a single-season absence, the Blues secured our 25th European qualification of the past 27 seasons.

The only remaining variable was whether the passports would be needed for Europa or Conference travel. The FA Cup spoils going to the red half of Manchester means we will enter the play-off round of the latter – a competition launched in 2021/22 and renamed simply the Conference League for 2024/25.

Chelsea’s UEFA coefficient of 99.00 is three times that of the next qualified club, Real Betis (33.00). The draw for the play-off round is on 5 August.

The Londoners came close to securing continental football as the reward for impressive domestic cup campaigns. Liverpool were outplayed for long periods in the Carabao Cup final but the Blues faltered in extra time.

A similar fade ended a strong FA Cup semi-final showing against Manchester City at Wembley, which remains our home from home. Despite a poor run of recent results at the national stadium, most fanbases covet our record of reaching the business end of trophy-chases so regularly.

Sponsors Infinite Athlete appeared on shirts for the first time at Fulham in early October, an evening which was marked with our first three away points of the season. Ultimately, though, it was finding consistency on the road which proved our toughest challenge.

Home and away comparison in 2023/24

In the end, Chelsea finished sixth in the top tier for the first time since 2011/12, and the ninth occasion overall in our 119-year history.

All-time Premier League table

The final points total was a vast improvement on 2022/23, and sits 20th out of our 32 tallies in the Premier League since the competition began in 1992/93.

Premier League points comparison over the last 10 seasons

Domestic majors

With no European campaign on Chelsea's schedule for only the second time since 1996/97, the Blues made it to the League Cup final for the 10th time, only to be edged out by Liverpool in extra time.

It was the first time in English football history the same fixture had been played in five different major domestic finals.

The FA Cup campaign brought our 60th major semi-final and the 27th in that competition. It was our 29th appearance under the Wembley arch since the national stadium was rebuilt in 2007.

The thrashing of Everton in April was our second six-goal haul of the season, after January’s 6-1 win against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, and our our first win by six clear goals since registering the same 6-0 scoreline at Southampton two years earlier.

The performance against the Toffees was emblematic of a significant upturn in results in the second half of the league campaign. Chelsea won nine of our last 11 Premier League home games (drawing one and losing one). Since the start of December, we claimed the joint-most home wins (nine, level with Arsenal) and home points (28, level with Man City) in the competition.

Capital gains

After a poor London derby showing in 2022/23, Chelsea returned to form with seven wins out of the dozen all-London affairs. At Fulham in October the Blues racked up our 150th victory in a Premier League London derby, winning 2-0.

February’s 3-1 league victory at Selhurst Park was our 13th in a row against Crystal Palace, the joint-longest winning run of any side against the same opponent in Premier League history.

However, the 5-0 loss to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium was our worst defeat across the capital since losing 6-0 at Queens Park Rangers in March 1986.

2023/24 Premier League London derby table

Doubling up

For the third time in five seasons, Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur home and away in the league.

Another side ‘doubled’ by the Blues were Brighton, who we also defeated 1-0 on the way to the League Cup final.

Home and away doubles 2023/24

In the zones

Within matches there was a significant performance drop-off towards the end of each half and more generally in the period after the break away from home. Overall, the Blues earned the fourth-most points at home before half-time, but ranked 14th over second halves on the road.

2023/24 Chelsea ranking by time

Finding the net

Chelsea scored 77 league goals, our third-highest total behind the title-winning seasons of 2009/10 (103) and 2016/17 (85). Just two Premier League clubs (Newcastle with 15.4 per cent and Aston Villa's 14.8 per cent) recorded a better shot-conversion rate than Chelsea’s 14 per cent.

The Blues ranked fifth on expected goals with 80.21, 4.21 more than our actual tally of 76 – double the number scored last season. According to Opta, Chelsea missed 73 big chances created this season, the same as Man City and six fewer than Liverpool.

The Blues will, though, hope to improve on a record of just eight clean sheets in the top flight, down on the previous campaign.

Close calls

The video assistant referee overruled the on-pitch officials 18 times in Chelsea matches this season (up from 11 last term). Five of those interventions led to goals for the Blues but none for our opponents, while six goal were ruled out for us and two reinstated for the opposition. Two Chelsea players and one opponent were sent off as a result of VAR.

Net result of VAR decision overturns

+5 - Fulham, Nottingham Forest
+4 - Aston Villa, Manchester City
+2 - Everton
+1 - Brentford, Brighton, Burnley
0 - Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle
-1 - Bournemouth, Luton, Tottenham
-2 - Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Manchester United
-3 - Sheffield United
-4 - West Ham
-7 - Wolves