Chelsea may have struggled in the Premier League this term, but their domestic cup form has perhaps given Mauricio Pochettino some breathing space in the hotseat.
A run to the final of the EFL Cup saw the Stamford Bridge side lose to Liverpool, but they still have a chance to secure FA Cup success, although they will need to defeat Manchester City in the semi-final at Wembley next month.
A win there could spearhead their charge for a first trophy since 2021, and it would likely mean Pochettino starts the 2024/25 campaign still in the dugout.
Collectively, the club have failed to generate a consistent run of results together in order to challenge for the European places in the league table, becoming more of a cup team.
Several players have sparkled, however. Cole Palmer has been in wonderful form since making the move from Manchester to London last summer. While Christopher Nkunku – despite missing the first few months of the season – is another player who, when fit, should be one of the first names on the team sheet.
Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku's season in numbers
Palmer making the move south was certainly a surprising one. Under Pep Guardiola, he had won the treble with the club and looked set to become the next big talent to break through at the Etihad.
An offer of £40m from Chelsea scuppered those plans, however, yet he has become one of Pochettino’s key players this season.
The Englishman has registered 28 goal contributions in all competitions this season for the Blues – 16 goals and 12 assists, and there is no doubt they would be at an ever lower ebb if it was not for his goals.
Goals
11
Assists
8
Big chances created
9
Key passes per game
1.5
Successful dribbles per game
1.3
Via Sofascore
Palmer also ranks first among the squad for shots per game (2.4) in the top flight, along with ranking first for big chances created (nine), key passes per game (1.5) and second for successful dribbles per game (1.3). Their faint chances of glory in the FA Cup surely rest with the talented youngster.
While Palmer’s heroics have been one of the few positive aspects of Chelsea’s season, Nkunku has also shown his qualities, albeit not on the same sort of level as Palmer.
Prior to the 2023/24 campaign, the Frenchman suffered a serious knee injury and was ruled out for the next few months, putting a dampener on the start of their season.
This has limited him to just ten appearances, although the attacking midfielder has netted twice during those games. His potential is massive, however, and making him the focal point could see Pochettino’s side vastly improve next term.
His brief appearances in the Blue shirt have been solid and this hopefully points to a successful future in London for the former RB Leipzig starlet.
Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku’s market value
Not only does Pochettino possess two of the finest attacking talents in the land, but their respective market values will only continue to soar as time goes on.
Palmer is currently valued at €32.2m (£27.6m) while Nkunku’s market value is sitting at €48.9m (£41.9m), as per Football Transfers.
Chelsea have had plenty of players in the past whose valuations have been higher than both Palmer's and Nkunku's, yet one former legend's transfer fee when he joined the club would eclipse both of their valuations currently – Didier Drogba.
What Didier Drogba would be worth in 2024 money
Going by football inflation, Drogba’s £24m move to sign for Chelsea in 2004 is worth a lot more two decades on.
Indeed, according to Totally Money – who have adjusted for inflation over the years – Drogba’s initial transfer fee 20 years ago would now be worth an eye-watering £124.3m if the move was to occur in the current day.
This is far more than Palmer and Nkunku put together and would make him one of Chelsea’s most expensive signings of all time, judging by inflation.
Totally Money have taken the 100 most expensive transfers of all time across each season since 1992 in Europe's top five leagues. Armed with plenty of historical financial data they have calculated what footballers of yesteryear would be worth in the present day after taking into account the remarkable rate of inflation.
For what he achieved at Stamford Bridge, many supporters would say he was certainly worth it.
Didier Drogba’s Chelsea statistics
José Mourinho first clapped eyes on Drogba during a Champions League clash between Porto and Marseille during the 2003/04 season.
The Portuguese could not afford the Ivorian back then, but once joining Chelsea, Roman Abramovich provided him with plenty of funds to build the team that he so desired.
In three full seasons under Mourinho, Drogba netted 65 goals, winning the Premier League twice, plus both domestic cups and it looked like a match made in heaven.
Despite the former Porto boss being sacked at the start of the 2007/08 season, Drogba wasn’t slowing down anytime soon. Another 29 goals followed until the start of Carlo Ancelotti’s reign, and he really kicked on under the Italian.
The striker scored 50 goals in just two seasons under Ancelotti, using his brute strength to steamroll through opposition defences with ease, but it wasn’t until the last match of his first spell for the club that he achieved immortality.
With Chelsea trailing Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final, Drogba stepped up to score the equaliser which took the game to extra time.
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Content? Not a chance. The Ivorian forward then not only summoned the courage to take the final penalty kick in the resulting shoot-out, but he dispatched it with ease, thus securing the Blues their first-ever European title.
A final fling with the club during the 2014/15 season saw him add another Premier League title and League Cup, to his collection, before bowing out of Stamford Bridge a hero.
Pochettino could certainly make do with the services of a peak Drogba alongside the likes of Palmer and Nkunku, as he would complement the youngsters fairly well.
Judging by his value in 2024, Chelsea struck gold on the player who went on to terrorise many Premier League defences during his spell in London, emerging as a proper legend in the process.
164 goals in 381 appearances does not even tell half the story of his stint at the Blues, and they may never see his like again gracing the turf at Stamford Bridge.