No matter how difficult the Premier League season is, Mauricio Pochettino always knows how to take advantage of cup competitions to gain an advantage for himself. And again, the same story repeated itself when he took charge of Chelsea.
The Blues returned to Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final after reaching the Carabao Cup final two months ago. These are two tournaments in which they were both eliminated from the third round under Graham Potter last season.
The Blues lost to Liverpool in February and missed out on a Carabao Cup win. In fact, their fierce opponent in the FA Cup semi-finals this time is Manchester City.
If they can somehow defeat The Citizens, Pochettino's team will have a great chance to win the championship. Chelsea's final opponents will be just a struggling Manchester United or Coventry, a lower-lying team.
However, regardless of the result, Pochettino's achievement in bringing Chelsea closer to the titles should not be underestimated.
When returning to the Premier League, Chelsea fans also have some hope. Despite a series of disappointing results, Chelsea are still 8 points ahead of the same period last season.
Therefore, returning to the European Cup next season is not out of Chelsea's hands. Pochettino's side are currently in ninth place, just three points behind Newcastle in sixth place and have played one game less. The important thing is that Chelsea have a better goal difference than West Ham and Man United, two teams currently above The Blues.
Chelsea's delay was fueled by Cole Palmer. And Pochettino deserves compliments for daring to give the England international a chance. Remember, at first, the Argentine strategist did not want to recruit the former Man City player.
Palmer has contributed 36 goals in all competitions for Chelsea this season. Without the England international, Chelsea would have been in serious trouble and had no hope.
The west London club have faced more than 50 different injury problems in the 2023-2024 season. On average, Pochettino will be missing 7 important pillars in each round.
The list of long-term absentees includes many key players such as captain Reece James or new players such as Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia. Both have barely contributed this season.
In case Chelsea wants to part ways with Pochettino, financial factors will become a major obstacle. That will certainly affect the decision of the Blues board when Pochettino's future is considered at the end of the season.
The Argentine has 12 months left on his contract, including an option to extend for another year. The early termination of the deal would see Chelsea pay more than £10 million in compensation.
Chelsea are in a state of financial uncertainty as they are struggling to avoid violating the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Regulation (PSR). They have spent £1 billion on new players since Todd Boehly took charge. And it is reported that Chelsea need to raise up to £100 million from selling players to avoid being fined.
With some progress on the pitch, the financial situation could force Chelsea to keep Pochettino regardless of the result. According to Chelsea's insider, Pochettino seems to want to go in a different direction in terms of transfer strategy. The former Tottenham manager believes the Blues need many experienced players to lead the younger generation.
If supported properly, Pochettino will likely bring Chelsea back to the track...
