The date is 11 March 2023. Chelsea have just beaten Leicester City 3-1 and recorded two consecutive Premier League victories. They’d waited five whole months to be able to say that and, little did they know, the Blues would have another long wait to be able to say it again.
Yep, it’s been seven months since Chelsea last won back-to-back Premier League games but Mauricio Pochettino has a chance to end the dry spell on Saturday when he takes his side to face struggling Burnley.
Chelsea saw off Fulham last time out and enter the Burnley game as heavy favourites to pick up their second win on the bounce – a feat they only managed twice last season. It’s not the kind of accomplishment Chelsea should be celebrating, but here we are.
To finally win two league games on the bounce, here are four things Pochettino must do.
Cole Palmer made his first league start for Chelsea last time out against Fulham, and it quickly became clear that the summer signing is going to be a key player for the Blues this season.
He started as a winger but often played inside, close to the midfield trio, in an attempt to boost both creativity and energy. The tactic worked a treat as Palmer pressed Fulham into oblivion and offered the sort of outlet that Chelsea have been lacking in attacking positions.
With Christopher Nkunku sidelined, Palmer appears to be the only player in this Chelsea squad capable of unlocking a defence. It’s early days, but it already feels like we’re in first-name-on-the-team-sheet territory.
Nicolas Jackson’s suspension is over and Pochettino is free to restore the expensive summer signing to the lineup, but he should resist the chance to do so.
While Jackson has performed admirably this season, he needs to learn a lesson about his ill-discipline and should watch from the sidelines as Armando Broja (who pronounces the J in his surname, by the way) seals his second successive start.
Broja brought excellent energy and movement to the Fulham game, and although there was a slice of good fortune about his goal, you can’t argue with the results. If the academy graduate is fit enough to start again, get him up top.
The Fulham game saw Pochettino trial a new tactic in midfield. Enzo Fernandez returned to a deeper role alongside Moises Caicedo, with Conor Gallagher getting the chance to push forward in an advanced position.
With Gallagher spending most of the time on the right, Fernandez was gifted an ocean of space in which to operate, and it brought the best out of the two midfielders who, like Caicedo, both impressed against Fulham.
It would be a shame to see Pochettino revert to his previous setup and the boss must allow this current group time to keep gelling and growing together as a unit.
Just a few weeks ago, Marc Cucurella was hugely unpopular among fans and seemingly destined to limp out of the club in the transfer window. How the tables have turned.
In a surprise outing at right-back in the cup against Brighton, Cucurella played his hard out and brought some much-needed energy to the team. It was deservedly rewarded with another start against Fulham, where Cucurella did the same thing again.
Cucurella’s confidence is understandably low right now but he deserves praise and recognition for his massive improvement. He’s been a trustworthy defender recently, and long may that continue.
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