Chelsea appear to have started to turn the corner under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Argentinian was handed the almost impossible task of turning around the Blues fortunes whilst having the rug pulled from under him in many respects.
So many players left the club last summer that building up things from scratch was always going to be a big ask, and it wasn’t really therefore too much of a surprise that the first half of the 2023/24 campaign was a big struggle for the West Londoners.
Four wins and one draw from their last seven games in all competitions represents a marked improvement and though their next fixture is at the Etihad Stadium against Pep Guardiola’s swashbucklers, Chelsea can now approach that match with renewed confidence.
Perhaps it’s that turnaround in form which has meant Saturday’s fixture will be more popular than usual, with fans bemoaning that Man City v Chelsea tickets are all sold out.
There’s certainly reasons for Blues supporters that are lucky enough to go to the game to believe that the visitors could come away with at least a draw.
For example, Conor Gallagher continues to impress, and his two goals against Crystal Palace on Monday night were a just reward for his industry.
Another player that’s starting to come into his own now is Enzo Fernandez.
It’s taken a while for the Argentinian World Cup winner to settle, but his compatriot and manager appears to be delighted with his progress – as well as his understanding of what playing for Chelsea means.
“Enzo after one year and a few months has started to understand what it means to play for Chelsea. What it means to live here in London and be in the Premier League,” Pochettino said on Sky Sports after Monday’s game (h/t The Chelsea Chronicle).
“The quality is there, he’s amazing and yes maybe he needs to play with this feeling [anger] but that is how you find your balance as a player. When you are young you need to improve to try to do things, but it’s not a magic touch, it’s about talking, understanding, training and repeating.”
With Cole Palmer starting to pull the strings too, Chelsea are beginning to look like the well-oiled machine that owner, Todd Boehly, thought he was buying.
The American has certainly put his money where his mouth is when it comes to bringing the best players to the club, however, that has yet to translate into success.
Positive performances should bring positive results, however, and they will be the bedrock of Chelsea’s success moving forward.
Even if it takes time, as long as Pochettino is allowed to be able to work unhindered, he has every chance of being able to bring the winning habit back to the club.
If Chelsea are able to grind out a good result on Saturday, that’ll be another feather in Pochettino’s cap and an acknowledgment that he’s on the right track for getting the Blues back where they belong.