7 Premier League Teams That Never Reached Their Full Potential

Chelsea were pioneers in English football long before billionaire takeovers were a thing. When Ruud Gullit became Blues manager in 1996, the landscape of the Premier League would change forever. Style, flair and a new brand of attacking football would take England by storm.

Gone were the days of Spencer and Furlong. It was all about Vialli, Zola, Di Matteo now. Finally, there was a team capable of challenging the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United. The League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and the FA Cup followed. Optimism around the club was at an all time high.

Chelsea even managed to get within 4 points of the all-conquering treble winning Man United team in 1998/99. However, for all their flair, creativity and talent, they also had a nasty habit of losing "easy" games. Oh so often, they would pull defeat from the jaws of victory against mediocre opposition.

On other occasions, they would simply buckle under pressure. The Champions League defeat to Barcelona in 1999/00 is a stellar example of this. They crushed the Catalans 3-1 at home, but managed to lose 5-1 in the return fixture at the Nou Camp.

The Blues were simply not consistent enough to mount a sustained challenge to the Big Two. They were not the first or the last ones to promise much, and deliver mixed results. A mix of tactical naivety from inexperienced managers and some failed transfers can probably be blamed for why the Londoners never fulfilled their lofty ambitions.

Better days would come for Chelsea in the summer of 2003, when they ushered in another new era in English football...