It is mid-January 2026 and the vibe around Stamford Bridge is, frankly, chaotic. If you’ve been tracking the Chelsea standings in Premier League recently, you know it’s been a total rollercoaster. One minute the Blues are knocking on the door of the top four, and the next, they’re parting ways with a manager on New Year’s Day.
Enzo Maresca is gone. Liam Rosenior is in.
Honestly, the table looks a bit weird right now. As of Sunday, January 18, 2026, Chelsea sits in 6th place. They’ve played 22 matches, racking up 34 points. To put that in perspective, they are 16 points behind a rampant Arsenal team at the top, but they’re only one point behind Manchester United in 5th. It’s tight. Like, really tight.
The Chaos of January and the Rosenior Era
The start of 2026 felt like a fever dream for Chelsea fans. Following a breakdown between Maresca and the board, the club did what it does best: changed lanes at 100 mph. Calum McFarlane took the reins as a caretaker for a week before Liam Rosenior officially stepped in on January 8.
You’ve gotta give it to Rosenior; he didn't get an easy start. His first league game was yesterday, January 17, against Brentford. For years, Brentford has been a "bogey team" for Chelsea at the Bridge. But the Blues actually pulled it off. A 2-0 win with goals from João Pedro and a Cole Palmer penalty. It was clinical, if a bit nervy at times.
That win was massive. Before that, Chelsea was drifting. They’d just come off a frustrating 2-1 loss to Fulham and a 1-1 draw with Manchester City. While a point at the Etihad sounds great on paper, the lack of wins was starting to see them slide down the table toward the mid-pack.
Breaking Down the Numbers
Let's look at the "how" and "why" of their current position.
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- Record: 9 wins, 7 draws, 6 losses.
- Goal Difference: +12 (36 scored, 24 conceded).
- Form: They’ve taken 5 points from their last five league games (D-L-D-D-W).
Wait, 24 goals conceded in 22 games? That’s actually not bad for this era of Chelsea. The defense, led by Levi Colwill and the veteran-ish Reece James (when he's fit), has been surprisingly stable. The issue has been the "draw-itis." Seven draws is a lot. That’s 14 points dropped in games where they likely had the lion's share of possession.
Who is Actually Carrying This Team?
If you look at the Chelsea standings in Premier League and wonder why they aren't lower, the answer is usually João Pedro or Cole Palmer.
João Pedro has been a revelation since joining from Brighton. He’s the top scorer in the league for the club with 7 goals. He has this knack for being in the right place, like that deflected strike against Brentford that VAR originally tried to take away.
Then there’s Palmer. "Cold" Palmer. Even in a season where the manager changed and the tactics shifted from Maresca’s heavy possession to Rosenior’s slightly more direct approach, Palmer remains the heartbeat. He’s sitting on 48 career goals for Chelsea now. That is an absurd stat for someone who hasn’t been there that long.
The Midfield Conundrum
We have to talk about the £200 million hole in the middle—or rather, the lack of one. Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo are finally starting to look like a partnership rather than two strangers sharing a taxi.
Enzo is the vice-captain now. He’s got 6 goals this season. He’s shooting more. He’s taking risks. Meanwhile, Caicedo is just... everywhere. His defensive numbers are top-tier, but sometimes you feel like the system asks too much of them. Under Maresca, they were basically asked to be architects and bricklayers at the same time. Rosenior seems to have simplified their roles, which is probably why they looked more balanced against Brentford.
What the "Experts" Get Wrong About Chelsea
Most pundits look at the Chelsea standings in Premier League and say, "They spent a billion pounds, they should be first."
That’s a lazy take.
The reality is that this is one of the youngest squads in Europe. Look at Estêvão. He’s 18. He’s playing against grown men who have been in the league for a decade. Look at Alejandro Garnacho—a controversial signing from United—who is still trying to find his feet at the Bridge.
The lack of consistency isn't because they aren't "good enough." It's because they're young. Young teams fluctuate. They beat West Ham 5-1 and then lose to Brighton 3-1 at home. That’s the tax you pay for building a team of wonderkids.
The Road Ahead: Can They Make the Top Four?
The race for the Champions League spots is a bloodbath this year. Arsenal and City are in their own world. Aston Villa, under Unai Emery, is playing out of its skin in 3rd. Liverpool is 4th.
Chelsea is 6th, just two points behind Liverpool.
The schedule for the rest of January is brutal. They’ve got Crystal Palace away on the 25th, and then a massive clash against West Ham on the 31st. Sandwiched in there is a Champions League trip to Naples.
If Rosenior can keep the momentum from the Brentford win, 4th place is totally doable. The squad depth is actually their biggest weapon. While other teams are tiring out, Chelsea has 31 first-team players. They can rotate an entire XI and still field internationals.
Actionable Insights for the Run-In
If you’re betting on Chelsea or just obsessively checking the table, keep an eye on these three things:
- Home Form: They’ve only won 5 of 11 games at Stamford Bridge. That has to improve if they want to leapfrog Liverpool.
- The "New Manager Bounce": Rosenior has the dressing room right now. The first month is usually great, but the tactical test comes in February when teams figure out his pressing triggers.
- Discipline: 5 red cards in 22 games. That’s ridiculous. They are beating themselves with silly challenges and dissent.
The Chelsea standings in Premier League tell a story of a team that is finally growing up, even if the growth spurts are painful. They aren't the "chaos club" of 2023 anymore, but they aren't a machine yet either. They're somewhere in the middle—dangerous, talented, and occasionally baffling.
To get the most out of following Chelsea this season, pay close attention to the goal involvement of the full-backs. Under Rosenior, Malo Gusto and Reece James are being pushed much higher than they were under Maresca, which creates more space for Palmer to drift inside. If those two stay fit, Chelsea’s xG (expected goals) will likely skyrocket in the second half of the season.
Check the live table again after the Crystal Palace game on January 25. A win there could officially move them into the top five for the first time since November.