Pochettino can make Chelsea serious title contenders next season
While it has been a turbulent first campaign for manager Mauricio Pochettino at Chelsea, there are reasons to suggest the Blues can emerge as serious challengers for the Premier League crown next season.
A squad with strength in depth and still being linked with big names ahead of the summer transfer window, there is cause for optimism at Stamford Bridge going into the 2024/25 campaign.
Pochettino Needed Time To Settle
Taking over from club legend Frank Lampard and his interim return to Chelsea towards the end of last season, Pochettino came into a club looking for some much-needed stability. It always looked like it would take time for the new manager to settle in at Stamford Bridge and bring a squad littered with international stars to sing from the same hymn sheet. Many of those international players will be looking forward to an exciting summer in Germany, with England 100/30 in the Euro 2024 betting to win the tournament for the very first time. Having adapted to Pochettino’s way of management and after the thrills and spills of Euro 2024, a host of Chelsea’s big names will be back at the club and raring to go for the new 2024/25 season.
It’s set to be an important campaign for Pochettino to show he is the right man to take the club forward under the new ownership. The former Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Paris Saint-Germain manager has a wealth of experience under his belt and will need to put all of that to good use in a bid to turn Chelsea’s fortunes around. At a minimum, the West London outfit needs to be in the Premier League title conversation, but it was evident pretty early this season that this would not be the case. While the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City have formed a three-horse race for the English crown, Chelsea have spent much of the season battling to get in the European places. The Premier League trophy is out of reach this time around, but there are reasons to believe the Blues can be in the mix next term.
Blues Can Get Back Where They Belong
Once the dust settles on the 2023/24 campaign, another intriguing Premier League season awaits. Liverpool will begin a new era, with manager Jürgen Klopp confirming he will be leaving Anfield this summer. Having taken over at the Merseyside outfit back in 2015, Klopp has enjoyed great success during his time with the Reds, and there will be huge pressure on the next manager to come in and fill the void. Arsenal have been on a steady rise under manager Mikel Arteta, but questions remain on whether the Gunners can hold their nerve at the business end of the season. Should Arteta’s side fall short in their ambitions of winning the Premier League title again this term, it could be hard for the Gunners to go again and be serious title challengers for a third consecutive year.
Manchester City have been the most consistent team in the English top flight in recent seasons, and they would arguably pose the biggest barrier between Chelsea making a return to the top of the pile. City boss Pep Guardiola has been a revelation since taking charge at the Etihad Stadium back in 2016, and helped guide the Cityzens to a famous treble of the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup last term. City have set the standard that teams wish to emulate, and Chelsea are certainly no different. The investment that has gone into the squad at Stamford Bridge can’t be questioned, and it’s clear there is huge potential in the ranks to go on and win silverware in the future. Chelsea narrowly missed out on the Carabao Cup trophy this season after a heartbreaking defeat to Liverpool in the final. While disappointed not to lift the trophy at Wembley, reaching the final was an indicator that this Chelsea side can develop and do something special in the coming years.
The Premier League is the most competitive top-flight competition in Europe but with Pochettino settling in, players improving, and rivals going through change, there’s cause for optimism at Chelsea going into 2024/25.
