Back-to-back victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers fired Chelsea up to third place in the Premier League standings.
Online bookmakers were suitably impressed with those results, with Betway’s latest football betting rating the Blues as 5/6 shots to secure a top four finish this season.
Right-back Malo Gusto, who scored his first goal for the club against Wolves, confirmed that Champions League qualification is Chelsea’s primary target.
“The performance was really important for us before the international break, and we are here for the top four – that is our objective – and we will keep going and keep fighting,” Gusto said.
“For my goal, it was our plan to bring players into the box. It was the key, we showed that today, and I’m very happy for the team.
“In the first half, we struggled a lot to find space between the lines, but in the second half we were much better.
“The manager said at half-time to be patient, the chance will arrive, and we found our players much easier, and I think that’s how we scored the first goal.
“We won our last Premier League game against Tottenham, which was important, and now against Wolves. It was a tough game, but we got the job done tonight, so let’s keep pushing.”
While Gusto focused purely on Chelsea’s chances of finishing in the top four this season, there is every reason to believe that challenging for the title is feasible.
Chelsea return to action on November 22 with a winnable-looking fixture at Burnley, before facing Barcelona in the Champions League three days later.
The round off their November schedule against table-topping Arsenal and could end the month just three points behind them if everything goes to plan.
While many pundits have suggested that the Gunners and Manchester City are in a two-way fight for the title, Chelsea could easily force their way into contention.
Cole Palmer’s eagerly-anticipated return from injury may the catalyst for Chelsea to prove that they are genuine contenders for the title this season.
The England international has been plagued by a persistent groin injury during the early part of the campaign, but Chelsea hope to have him back soon.
Having kept themselves on the heels of the top two teams, the Blues have every reason to feel optimistic about forcing their way into the title conversation.
Palmer has been absent since sustaining a groin injury which forced him off during the defeat to Manchester United on September 20.
His return to action will make Chelsea stronger and give them a fighting chance of keeping pace with the main protagonists in the title race, something the investments in the team demand as a minimum.
After rounding off their November fixtures against Burnley and Arsenal, the Blues have a relatively favourable run of fixtures in the final few weeks of the year.
Fixtures at Leeds United and Bournemouth are both winnable, while a home game against Everton should hold no fears for Enzo Maresca’s side.
The trip to Newcastle United on December 20 would normally be viewed as banana skin, but the north-east outfit have been underwhelming this season.
Chelsea will end the month with home games against Aston Villa and Bournemouth, which gives them every chance of finishing 2025 with a flourish.
While a top four finish is a realistic target to aim for, Chelsea must not waste the opportunity to muscle their way into the title race before the end of the year.
