Mauricio Pochettino celebrated his 31st game in charge of Chelsea with a humiliating 4-2 drubbing at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It may not sound it, but 31 games is actually a significant milestone for Pochettino as it also happens to be the number of matches afforded to his predecessor, Graham Potter.
Potter’s time at Chelsea is not remembered fondly and, after Frank Lampard’s interim stint, the decision to hire Pochettino was seen as a smart move which just might send the Blues back towards the top of the table.
31 games in and things are not exactly going to plan.
Mauricio Pochettino | Graham Potter | |
|---|---|---|
Games played | 23 | 22 |
Wins | 9 | 7 |
Draws | 4 | 7 |
Losses | 10 | 8 |
Goals scored | 38 | 21 |
Goals conceded | 39 | 21 |
Points | 31 | 28 |
Position | 11th | 11th |
Statistically, Chelsea have improved from Potter to Pochettino. How about we just leave it at that? No?
In one extra game, Pochettino has accumulated three points more than Potter managed during his time at Chelsea. If you’re interested, the team lost the game that came immediately after Potter’s departure, a 1-0 defeat to Wolves under Lampard.
The goal difference was looking good for Pochettino before Chelsea conceded eight goals across just a few days – a run of form which also contributed to the increase in losses from the previous manager.
The stat that matters most, however, is where Chelsea sit in the Premier League. Potter left Chelsea in 11th, and Pochettino has not been able to improve on that thus far.
Mauricio Pochettino | Graham Potter | |
|---|---|---|
Games played | 31 | 31 |
Wins | 15 | 12 |
Draws | 5 | 8 |
Losses | 11 | 11 |
Goals scored | 54 | 33 |
Goals conceded | 43 | 31 |
Points per game | 1.61 | 1.42 |
Again, there’s definitely improvement from Potter’s Chelsea to Pochettino’s, but is it enough?
Pochettino oversaw three more victories in his first 31 games but, with the same number of losses as Potter, it’s fair to say that’s hardly made much of a difference.
Where you’ll find the biggest change is goals. Pochettino has orchestrated 54 in the same time it took Potter to reach 33, but that has also come at the expense of some shaky defending. 43 goals conceded compared to Potter’s 31 is the most notable decline.
It’s worth highlighting that Pochettino’s numbers do not include a run in the Champions League – Potter led Chelsea through the groups and to the last 16 – but he has enjoyed spells in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. Potter’s side were dumped out in the third round of both at the hands of Manchester City.
The overall conclusion is clear. Chelsea have obviously fared slightly better under Pochettino than they did with Potter at the helm, but that’s not the bar managers should be aiming for. With all due respect to Potter, his spell at Stamford Bridge ended in embarrassing fashion, so for Pochettino to only be able to boast a slight improvement is nothing to celebrate.
