Three things that will 'definitely' happen to Arsenal if Chelsea sack Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino is under incredible pressure and it has only worsened following their 5-0 defeat against Arsenal. Calls for the Argentine to be sacked are at an all-time high and there are growing expectations he could indeed leave the club in the summer should an ideal candidate become available.
But what could that mean for not only the Blues but their London rivals Arsenal? The clubs are poles apart right now but where the Gunners stuck with Mikel Arteta during the rough seasons and are benefitting from it now, it would be surprising if Chelsea had similar patience.
Therefore, football.london takes a look at three realities which believe will arise with some speculation too. Chelsea under a new coach isn’t something new, but every time it happens there is a chance for first-times to emerge.
We enter the unknown
As with any new coach, the unknown is what immediately comes to mind as debates and discussions start on how the new coach might react. Chelsea have had such a tumultuous time of late and Arsenal will hope that continues.
Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino are all clearly good coaches and have achieved plenty of great things but for one reason or another it hasn’t clicked with Chelsea - despite Tuchel lifting a Champions League, it soured enough for him to be sacked. That therefore points to problems well below just what is on the surface.
Mikel Arteta came in and helped root out the causes of issues deep in the squad and then transformed the mentality and principles that had been eroded over time prior to his arrival. He did that with time, something which no manager has yet been given at Chelsea, despite talk of 'projects'.
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More big spending?
Chelsea's financial freedom remains an area many feel could come under scrutiny after their billion-pound-plus spree following Todd Boehly's arrival. The lack of Champions League revenue and the diminishing selling potential of the squad are not there to provide the safety net to go big again.
New manager tend to like to bring in plenty of their own players to help build a foundation of their own ideas. However, the Chelsea project has come in for serious criticism and clubs like Arsenal are now a far more attractive prospect to join than the former European champions.
That said, it can't be ruled out that Chelsea will again spend big. Arsenal have already seen players like Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Nico Williams linked with both themselves and their London rivals, and so it seems there will be more market battles.
An end to Chelsea snaps
Arsenal have been snapping up Chelsea players for quite some time from youth talents like Eddie Nketiah to senior figures like David Luiz, Petr Cech and Willian. It has come with varied success and the Gunners have been more astute with recent deals.
Both Kai Havertz and Jorginho have been much more successful to the point that some Chelsea fans have bemoaned the decisions. A new coach coming in would certainly be aware of these issues.
Should the Gunners come back to west London looking for a deal, a new coach might decide to cut ties with their city rivals. Who Arsenal might want, however, having grabbed a couple of their best and subsequently seen them fall away dramatically, is likely quite telling.