Chelsea named biggest underachievers of 2022-23, Newcastle biggest overachievers

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 13 June 2023

Chelsea are named the biggest underachievers of 2022-23 in our Sports Mole Writers' Awards, while Newcastle United are named the biggest overachievers.

Chelsea have been named the biggest underachievers of the 2022-23 campaign in our Sports Mole Writers' Awards.

The Blues suffered a torrid first full campaign since being taken over, despite spending record amounts on new players in the summer and winter transfer windows.

In total, Chelsea's spending surpassed £600m, yet they went through four different managers and won just 11 Premier League games all season.

Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were both sacked before Bruno Saltor took charge of one match and Frank Lampard was handed the reins until the end of the campaign.

None of them were able to prevent Chelsea ultimately posting their lowest league finish since 1993-94, though, ending the campaign in 12th place and having suffered third-round exits from both domestic cup competitions.

The Blues amassed a whopping 30 points fewer in 2022-23 than they did in 2021-22 - unsurprisingly the biggest drop-off of any team between the two campaigns.

Those statistics earned them 90% of our reporters' votes for the biggest underachiever in the Premier League this term, with Tottenham Hotspur and relegated Leicester City the only other clubs to garner a pick.

Newcastle United players celebrate an own goal scored by Brighton & Hove Albion's Deniz Undav on May 18, 2023 © Reuters

The biggest overachiever category was far more fiercely contested, with Newcastle United ending up top of the pile with 40% of the votes.

The Magpies earned a return to the Champions League for the first time in two decades courtesy of a fourth-placed finish, ending up seven positions and 22 points better off than last season - a haul which also helped earn Eddie Howe our Writers' Manager of the Season award.

Brighton & Hove Albion were second with 30% having sealed European qualification for the first time in their history, while Aston Villa's revival under Unai Emery earned them 20% of the votes too.

Brentford and Arsenal both picked up one vote apiece as well, with the Bees having secured a top-half finish and Arsenal topping the league for the vast majority of the season.