In 2002, Chelsea FC was a strong Premier League side but not yet one of England’s dominant clubs. They finished 6th in the 2001–02 Premier League season, and their 2002–03 campaign was focused on pushing into Champions League qualification.

What that meant

  • Chelsea were still in the pre-Abramovich era for most of 2002, so they were competitive but not yet backed by the massive investment that came later.
  • They were good enough to challenge for Europe, but not yet consistently winning major trophies.
  • In early 2002, Chelsea also had notable FA Cup moments, including a late win over West Ham on 6 February 2002.

Simple version

If you mean their overall status , Chelsea in 2002 was a top-flight club on the rise, finishing around the upper-middle of the Premier League and building toward the much bigger era that followed.

TL;DR

Chelsea in 2002 were a solid Premier League club, finishing 6th in 2001–02, with ambitions of reaching the Champions League rather than already being an elite title-winning powerhouse.