Gianfranco Zola, a Chelsea icon, believes the team struggled last season due to the departures of three players.

According to Zola, the three players "were the soul of the team".

The Italian believes that the departures of Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic to Arsenal and Manchester City, respectively, have had a significant impact on Chelsea.

Zola also believes Jorginho's move to Arsenal in January 2023 deprives the team of a vital leader.

He told Ladbrokes: "Chelsea had a difficult season, especially at the start, but they transformed dramatically.

"They brought in a lot of young players while losing a number of veteran ones, like Jorginho, Havertz, and Kovacic. They lost numerous players who were the team's soul and leaders, therefore it took some time to get started.

"But Pochettino eventually got it running, and it was functioning fairly nicely. It was quite surprised to see him leave, and I don't know why, but I'm clearly unhappy as a supporter."