What’s left for Chelsea this season?

Chelsea slipped further adrift of the top-four race in the Premier League with a goalless draw against Watford at Vicarage Road.

Guus Hiddink had previously declared his side would keep scrapping until it was mathematically impossible, while the soon-to-depart John Terry insisted after the 1-0 triumph over Arsenal that the Blues could sneak into the Champions League spots.

[MATCH REPORT: Blues draw blank at Watford]

[HIDDINK (in December): Top four still possible for Chelsea]

However, the gap to the fourth-placed Gunners stands at 16 points. Just 14 games remain. If it wasn’t over already – and let’s face it, it probably was – then it is now. They needed teams to slip up, for Leicester and Tottenham to unravel. It hasn’t happened.

Now, their quest for a European berth rests on the Champions League or, more likely, the FA Cup.

"I think they were happy with a point, but we are not happy. First-half, we had a few problems as they were strong in set-pieces, although not a big threat," he told the BBC.

"In the second-half, we controlled and dominated and deserved to win."

Chelsea have two routes into Europe: winning either the Champions League or FA Cup.

They have shown very little to suggest they can get past Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16 of the former competition – let alone usurp Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Their impressive knack of grinding out results, built on solid defensive foundations, vanished the moment Swansea’s Jefferson Montero galloped beyond Branislav Ivanovic on the opening day of the season.

Since that 2-2 draw, the club have slipped into turmoil, with their team on an endless merry-go-round of mistakes. Results have improved marginally since Jose Mourinho's departure, but this is not the Chelsea side that won the title. Far from it.

So their best bet is the FA Cup. Again, it’s a tricky proposition. They welcome Manchester City to Stamford Bridge on fifth-round day, before both sides travel in Europe in midweek. Hiddink would be crucified if he prioritised the FA Cup over Europe – leaving the Blues vulnerable to an exit.

The end result? Chelsea’s season could be over by mid-March. That top-four ‘war cry’ from Hiddink seems a long time ago…