Sport
Chelsea are finally heading in the right direction.
Chelsea finished in the bottom half of the Premier League table last season and for much of this season it appeared unlikely they would improve on that by much, if at all. As recently as early March, Mauricio Pochettino’s team was slumped in 11th place with the Argentine under pressure from his own fans. The outlook, however, has brightened since then.
Indeed, Chelsea have lost just one of their last 12 league fixtures. It’s worth noting that one defeat was a damaging 5-0 loss to Arsenal, and there has been five draws over the course of that 12-game run, but there have been genuine signs of improvement in the Blues’ performances of late, most recently against West Ham.
Pochettino’s team put five goals past the Hammers as they swept aside the visitors to Stamford Bridge. This came on the back of an impressive 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur and a respectable 2-2 away draw to fourth-place Aston Villa. This season has been a difficult one for Chelsea, but they are finishing it strongly.
Throughout this season – and even last season – Chelsea have underperformed their Expected Goals (xG). While the Blues have played well in spells and created chances, they have lacked cutting edge in countless matches. That, however, has started to change. Chelsea are showing more and more incisiveness in the attacking third.
No team has scored more goals at home in the Premier League this season than Chelsea (25). They have found the back of the net 24 times in their last seven league matches in front of their own supporters with Sunday’s 5-0 victory over West Ham the latest match to offer a hint of what Chelsea could achieve next season.
With every match Chelsea play at the moment, Pochettino is figuring out more about his group of players. There has been so much turnover at Stamford Bridge over the last two years that the Blues boss was faced with too much disruption to establish a coherent structure and approach, but things are now settling down.
The injury situation at Stamford Bridge has improved. Raheem Sterling, Reece James, Enzo Fernandez and Ben Chilwell, among a few others, are still sidelined, but Pochettino has been able to welcome back the likes of Thiago Silva, Christopher Nkunku and Malo Gusto with the Chelsea lineup more settled now than at any other stage of the campaign.
It should also be noted that Chelsea’s squad is one of the youngest in the Premier League. The club has targeted young, talented players in the transfer market and that has led to inconsistency in results and performances. But Chelsea’s strong end to the season highlights the growing maturity within their ranks. The Blues are becoming more comfortable in their own skin.
“When the team is young, you have to put it all together and start working until everyone starts to find their space and starts to feel really confident,” said Pochettino after the 5-0 win over West Ham. “That is the most difficult thing and always takes time. The team is growing up very fast because that is the minimum standard that we need if we want to compete in this league.”
Chelsea are still a long way from competing at the very top of the Premier League table, but they are finally heading in the right direction. Pochettino has earned patience from the Stamford Bridge decision-makers and the Blues’ faithful support and deserves the opportunity to continue the project he started despite continued speculation about his future. Chelsea have put some growing pains behind them.
