How Chelsea have improved before playing Arsenal

Chelsea won three consecutive matches for the first time since March with important roles played by Enzo Fernandez and Raheem Sterling, ahead of the big match against Arsenal in round nine of the Premier League.

Burnley's 4-1 win at Turf Moor on October 7 was an important result for Chelsea. Following the 1-0 defeat of Brighton in the third round of the League Cup and the 2-0 defeat of Fulham in the seventh round of the Premier League, Mauricio Pochettino's team extended their winning streak to three matches.

Chelsea have won three games in a row in all competitions for the first time since March. It is also the first time Chelsea have scored more than three goals in a competitive game since thrashing Southampton 6-0 in the Premier League in April 2022. The 4-1 result at Turf Moor was also the first time Chelsea went into the international break with a win in 19 months.

"But are these results proof that Chelsea are back on their feet or is this simply a short-lived upswing? Will they come back down to earth when they take on Arsenal on Saturday?", Sky Sports asked. The British sports channel then approached four perspectives to clarify the issue.

Pochettino (middle) along with Enzo Fernandez (left) and Raheem Sterling (right) are bringing positive changes to Chelsea. Photo: Sky Sports

Pochettino's influence . "Anyone who has closely followed Chelsea this season can see the positive impact that coach Pochettino has made since taking charge," commented Sky Sports .

The fact that the team has won just two of its first seven games may not justify those positives. But even in such an up and down period, Pochettino’s Chelsea still feel like they are playing better than they did under Graham Potter or Frank Lampard. Last season’s stats suggested Chelsea were no better than mid-table, but under the Argentine, the team has shown clear improvement across the pitch.

Chelsea's expected goals (xG) per 90 minutes is 1.9, seventh in the Premier League after eight games - up from 1.32 and 12th last season. The Blues' expected goals conceded per 90 minutes is also 1.03, fourth in the league - up from 1.41 and 11th last season.

Chelsea also moved up from seventh to second for possession in the attacking third per game (from 5.37 to 7.5), showing a marked improvement in their ability to put pressure on opponents.

But Pochettino has yet to address the issue that plagued Potter and Lampard last season – finishing their chances. Last season, Chelsea had the worst expected goals in the Premier League, scoring 12.08 fewer goals than they should have. That poor finishing remains a major issue, with Chelsea second only to Everton in that metric through the first eight games.

Average statistics per game in the Premier League
Rank	2023-2024	Parameter	2022-2023	Rank
9	1.38	Goal	1	15
7	1.9	Expected Goals	1.32	12
3	0.88	Goal conceded	1.24	7
4	1.03	Expected loss	1.41	11
2	7.5	Number of ball possessions in one third attack	5.37	7

The maestro Enzo Fernandez . The player who perhaps best exemplifies the changes Pochettino has made is Enzo Fernandez. He shone as a No. 8 as Argentina won the 2022 World Cup, but then had to replace Jorginho as a holding midfielder in front of the back four when he joined Chelsea in January 2023.

Fernandez showed glimpses of his quality and class as Chelsea struggled for a goalless second half of the season, but in August Pochettino confirmed Fernandez’s role in Chelsea’s revival.

"Fernandez will play as a No. 8," Pochettino told Sky Sports . "One of the first things when I met Fernandez was to talk about the position and how comfortable he is, then talk about his qualities. Fernandez needs freedom, the qualities to create and shoot from outside the box."

In the last two Premier League wins against Fulham and Burnley, Pochettino deployed a three-man midfield, with Moises Caicedo playing deepest and Conor Gallagher and Fernandez moving higher up.

Enzo Fernandez (No. 8) dribbles during the 4-1 win over Burnley in the 8th round of the Premier League on October 7. Photo: AFP

The 2022 World Cup winner has quickly become a key figure in Chelsea's squad, ranking second for completed passes and third for completed passes in the final third per 90 minutes among all midfielders in the Premier League this season.

But the Argentine still has plenty of room for improvement, especially in front of goal. Fernandez has yet to score and has just two assists in 26 Premier League games. Getting the most out of his compatriot would certainly be a huge help to Pochettino as he looks to help Chelsea develop.

Sterling leads the attack . The rejuvenation of the squad under new owner Todd Boehly has been so drastic that at 28, Raheem Sterling is the third oldest player in the Chelsea first team, behind only centre-back Thiago Silva (39) and goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli (31).

Sterling looked lost after joining Chelsea last season, with injuries and inconsistency on the bench limiting his progress, sometimes being pushed out as a centre-forward by Thomas Tuchel and then being pulled back to a wing-back by Potter in a back three.

But with a return to his favoured winger role under Pochettino and the motivation of being dropped from the England squad by Gareth Southgate, Sterling has flourished in his second season at Stamford Bridge. Sterling has three goals and averages 2.26 dribbles per 90 minutes - Chelsea's best in the first eight Premier League games. The England striker averages 0.42 goals per 90 minutes, bettering his xG of 0.34 this season.

Sterling scores in the 4-1 win over Burnley. Photo: AFP

During pre-season, Sterling revealed he felt “fantastic” after changing his diet to ease his injury troubles, a decision that has paid off with the 28-year-old now a key figure in attack and keen to lead Chelsea’s youthful dressing room.

A difficult start to the season for Chelsea . Despite the positives mentioned above, Chelsea still have many problems. According to Opta , Chelsea have the third easiest schedule in the first eight rounds of the league, but they are currently only 11th with 11 points.

Whether Chelsea's improvement is sustainable will become clear between now and Christmas, when Pochettino's men face the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City, Newcastle and Man Utd. Opta rates Chelsea as having the fourth-toughest schedule in the league over that period.

The first test is Arsenal, who have won seven of their last eight games against Chelsea. After nearly 10 years without a win at Stamford Bridge, the Gunners have won their last three visits to this stadium. Ending that Arsenal dominance would be proof of Chelsea's revival.

Hong Duy

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