Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino says the 2-1 win over Brighton is allowing him to dream of playing in Europe next season.
The Blues made it difficult for themselves but saw the game out on the South Coast after captain Reece James was sent off late on.
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Two earlier goals from Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku had put the London outfit in the driving seat before Danny Welbeck netted a late consolation goal.
The win puts Chelsea three points clear of Newcastle and Manchester United and three behind Tottenham going into the final day.
Should they get a point or more against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, their place in the Europa League will be confirmed unless United beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
But Pochettino is now choosing to believe his players are doing enough to play abroad next term.
He said: “It’s always very competitive, the Premier League is the toughest league in the world.
“Full credit to the players, we fully deserved the victory, that’s why I’m so happy and it allows us to dream to play in Europe next season.
“We need to think about recovery and keep the mentality of going to win and see what happens.
If Chelsea beat Bournemouth on the final day of the season and Tottenham lose to Sheffield United, Mauricio Pochettino will finish above his former side and secure 5th place. 🫣 pic.twitter.com/Cgpur0X0ZK
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 15, 2024
“The most important thing is belief and performances and the performances and results are really good.
“We dominated from the beginning against a team that’s not easy to play, that’s why we’re so proud and so happy. The evolution of the team is there.”
The Argentina was also questioned on VAR, which had a big role to play at the Amex on Wednesday night.
Chelsea had a penalty disallowed after a review and James’ red card was branded after the referee had been advised to go the pitchside monitor.
Clubs are set to vote on the future of VAR next month after Wolves submitted a proposal to remove it from the top flight.
He added: “Next season we have to see if we can improve how we use VAR.
“For me it’s not in or out, it’s about improving how we use it.
“It can be amazing to have it in the right way and VAR can be a fantastic tool to help the referees and us.”
