Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has stated that finishing in the top four this season is not a foregone conclusion.

Though the German is optimistic about the Blues' chances, he acknowledges that anything can happen in the Premier League.

Chelsea is currently in third place in the Premier League rankings, five points behind Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

The Blues have lost their last two games, a 4-1 setback to Brentford in the Premier League and a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League.

At a press conference ahead of Saturday's match against Southampton, Tuchel was asked how certain he was that Chelsea would finish in the top four this season.

"Absolutely confident," the Blues manager responded, "but not as a given." "I never considered it a given." Because this is the most difficult league in the world, and we know how we struggled during the season and what can lead us to struggle. "We can play at a very, very high level" if we hit our peak, which we do frequently. So, this is us, and this is nothing negative. If we don't attain it, we can lose to any team of any caliber, and sadly, we proved that in five days." It's merely a reminder that fighting for third place is nothing to be ashamed of. There is no reason to be disappointed.

At the moment, we are third, and it’s a tough competition until the very last day.

Do I feel confident? Yes, because I have trust in my players, the club, and myself and my staff. But do we feel that this is a given? No, absolutely not, but it never felt like this. ”