The Globe Soccer Awards acknowledge that Chelsea is far behind Manchester City and Liverpool in terms of performance.

John Terry, the legendary former Chelsea player and current assistant manager to Dean Smith at Aston Villa, has acknowledged that his beloved Blues are currently far behind the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool.

Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards, where he received the Player Career Award, Terry admitted that Chelsea are not yet at the level to challenge for the top spot in the Premier League.

Terry, who holds the record for the most appearances for Chelsea with 717 outings, understands that football goes through cycles of dominance. He pointed out that in the past, Manchester United were the dominant force in the league, followed by Chelsea’s own period of dominance. However, now it is Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City that are ruling the roost.

The former centre-back praised City for their incredible consistency and the quality of their individual players. He acknowledged that winning the Premier League twice in a row, as Chelsea did during his time, is an extremely difficult feat. Terry expressed his admiration for City’s achievements and wished them well.

However, Terry believes that Chelsea can close the gap with time. He emphasized the importance of giving manager Mauricio Pochettino the necessary time to implement his ideas and develop the young squad of players at Stamford Bridge. Terry has worked closely with Pochettino during his time as an assistant manager and has seen his abilities firsthand.

Currently sitting in ninth place in the Premier League table, Chelsea are nine points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and a significant 14 points adrift of league leaders Liverpool. Their upcoming fixtures include a crucial Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Middlesbrough, an FA Cup tie against Aston Villa, and a challenging Premier League clash against Liverpool at Anfield.

Despite the current gap between Chelsea and the top teams, Terry remains optimistic about the future. He believes that with time and the right management, Chelsea can bridge the distance and once again compete at the highest level.