It’s starting to appear absurd how unclear Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea future is.
Pochettino has no idea if he will stay at Stamford Bridge for the upcoming campaign; Chelsea is preparing an end-of-season evaluation that will finally decide his future.
However, he is quietly compiling a strong run of outcomes, and Chelsea needs to hold onto him going forward.
The Blues’ thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday keeps them in the running for Europa League participation. Since Boxing Day, only Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool have defeated Chelsea in terms of points earned, and in the previous 13 games, only the Gunners have scored more goals.
When his players are healthy and there are enough encouraging signs that they are headed in the right direction under his guidance, Pochettino is demonstrating what he can do.
Chelsea’s path has been long since their 5-0 loss to Arsenal three weeks ago.
Marc Cucurella’s switch to an inverted full-back role, where he enters midfield to build up, is the main alteration.
Results at Stamford Bridge have contributed significantly to the good vibes, but Pochettino’s road form proved to be the last obstacle.
Chelsea won on the road for the first time in two months on Saturday, but Behdad Eghbali, the co-owner who will choose Pochettino’s successor, must have been happy to be there at the City Ground with Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, two powerful co-sporting directors.
Pochettino demonstrated his abilities with a full team, despite his constant insistence that his team’s poor play this season is the result of injuries.
He changed the game by substituting Reece James, Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling, and Malo Gusto for the nine senior players who had been benched all season. After a five-month hiatus, club captain James made his comeback and played a key role in both goals during his 18 outstanding minutes.
To secure three points, Nicolas Jackson headed in James’s cross and Sterling curled in the equaliser. With 17 goals this season, Jackson has surpassed Didier Drogba, the former Chelsea player, in his first season in west London.
Conor Gallagher continues to develop, much like Jackson, and Moises Caicedo is beginning to show that he is a very good midfield player. At Spurs, Pochettino shaped the careers of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Heung-min Son. Now, he is guiding Cole Palmer.
Naturally, this does not mean that Chelsea should enjoy a trophy-less season while giving up an unwelcome club record 61 goals, but it is important to remember that this is the second-youngest Premier League group and injuries have been a major problem.
Despite spending a record-breaking £1 billion on players, Chelsea is still in transition. However, Pochettino is the stabilising influence the team needs at this time.
With two games remaining, Chelsea has earned 13 more points and is in its highest league place since November 2022. They have scored 34 goals more than they did in the previous season.
Chelsea will get into Europe if they defeat Brighton and Bournemouth. Pochettino has already demonstrated enough to warrant sticking with him, even if they don’t.