Mauricio Pochettino, after an arduous wait of nine years, has finally realized the ambition of guiding a team to an English cup final. However, merely participating in the upcoming Carabao Cup final won’t suffice for the Chelsea head coach; the imperative is to secure victory.
Chelsea’s resounding 6-1 triumph in the semifinal second-leg clash against Middlesbrough at Stamford Bridge solidified the Blues’ presence in their first Carabao Cup final since their defeat to Liverpool in 2022. If they successfully navigate past Fulham in the second leg at Craven Cottage, Jurgen Klopp’s team will be their adversaries once again on Feb. 25.
Liverpool currently holds a 2-1 lead from the first leg. Despite Chelsea’s regular appearances in cup finals, both in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in recent years, Pochettino’s inability to replicate such success during his 5½ years at Tottenham has remained a critical factor.
Apart from the Carabao Cup final loss to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in 2015 and a UEFA Champions League final defeat to Liverpool in Madrid four years later, Pochettino has endured a dismal record in knockout competitions, except for clinching the Coupe de France title with Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
During his tenure at Tottenham, Pochettino seldom conveyed a commitment to taking domestic cups seriously. His response to accusations of his lack of dedication to either cup was that Spurs’ priority was Champions League qualification, achieved either by winning or securing a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Thus, six attempts at the Carabao Cup with Spurs resulted in just one final, the loss against Chelsea, while the best outcome in five FA Cup campaigns was two losing semifinals.
Pochettino had the liberty to prioritize at Tottenham due to the club’s financial and squad depth limitations, which hindered them from competing on multiple fronts. However, the scenario is different at Chelsea.
Since Roman Abramovich’s financial infusion post his takeover in 2003, Chelsea has been a formidable force in every competition, clinching victories in all of them multiple times over the past two decades. Despite Abramovich’s departure in 2022, Chelsea’s new American owners have maintained the demand for success.
Nevertheless, there have been instances since the ownership change in May 2022 where Chelsea seemed distant from success. Pochettino is the fourth manager during this period, and £910 million has been spent on 25 new players, with even more departing the club.
While Chelsea may not appear as strong contenders for a trophy because Pochettino’s young team is still in a developmental stage, signs of improvement and consistency are becoming evident. Their recent win marked their fifth in six games across all competitions, with Raheem Sterling, Enzo Fernández, and Cole Palmer delivering standout performances.
Despite the upheavals and chaos at Chelsea, even during Pochettino’s six months in charge, a sense of progress is emerging. Winning a major trophy is an ideal way to signify this progress. However, this significance pertains more to Pochettino than Chelsea.
While Chelsea consistently pursues victories, Pochettino needs to validate his status as one of the top coaches in the game by securing silverware. Producing exciting young teams, as he did at Spurs and Southampton, is insufficient if it doesn’t culminate in trophy success.
If Chelsea faces Fulham at Wembley next month, they will be considered strong favorites. Still, if the opponents turn out to be Liverpool, Pochettino’s side will assume the underdog status. Nevertheless, only Manchester City has secured more trophies than Chelsea in the past decade.
Thus, regardless of the Wembley opponent, Pochettino’s side carries the expectation that befits top clubs. With talent in their team, trophy-winning experience from Sterling, Palmer, and Thiago Silva, and a coach eager to prove himself, Chelsea is on the brink of trophy success.
Although this Chelsea team is far from the finished article, being just one win away from claiming a trophy is an encouraging position for both the team and Pochettino, considering his recent arrival at the club last summer.