Chelsea relegation is on the cards - Carroll

Andy Carroll believes West Ham's London rivals Chelsea are genuine contenders to be relegated from the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho's champions have made an abysmal defence of their title, picking up only 15 points from 16 games to sit just one point clear of the bottom three.

Forward Carroll scored the winning goal as West Ham inflicted one of Chelsea's nine league defeats in October and he feels a stunning relegation is on the cards this season.

When asked if Mourinho's men could really go down, he told Sky Sports: "It is hard to think Chelsea could be in the bottom three at the end of the season. 

"But the way they are going, I don't see why they can't get relegated. I think it's obviously on the cards.

"It is crazy to see the quality in that team at the bottom of the league. It is tough to actually realise that they are such a good team, with quality players, and who spent so much money on those players - they just can't string a pass together at the minute."

Unlike Chelsea, West Ham are comfortably in the top half sitting in eighth position on 24 points, but Carroll believes they should be even higher in the table.

He continued: "I think we have got to try and get into Europe, 100 per cent. Some of the games we have played, we should have won.

"We could be up there around the top places. If we look at ourselves deep down, we could be there."

Chelsea are at home to Sunderland on Saturday, while West Ham travel to play Swansea City on Sunday.