In the manager's own words, the Cole Palmer-inspired comeback must signal a 'turning point' – and opportunity knocks for the Blues
Cole Palmer's 101st-minute winner against Manchester United provoked scenes Stamford Bridge hasn't witnessed for a long, long time; after Chelsea's new hero crashed his strike in off the hapless Scott McTominay, the stadium erupted – a spontaneous combustion of emotion, frustration and pure relief.
As the camera vibrated uncontrollably, Palmer wheeled away aimlessly in celebration, his team-mates falling over themselves to get a piece of him as he evaded them in the same way he had eluded Manchester United's defence all night long; on the touchline, a bellowing Mauricio Pochettino looked on the verge of tears before he was mobbed by his coaching staff.
Granted, the Blues should never have been in a position where they required a questionable penalty decision and a last-second goal to win this game 4-3, having been masters of their own downfall as they threw away a two-goal lead to trail 3-2 after 90 minutes – but Pochettino simply must harness this energy to push on to better things in what remains of the season. His future as Chelsea manager depends on it.
(C)Getty ImagesA timely springboard
When the dust settles on the incredible drama at Stamford Bridge, a glance at the Premier League table will bring many Chelsea supporters thudding back to earth; the Blues are still down in 10th, with the likes of Brighton, West Ham and Newcastle ahead of them.
Barring an unlikely FA Cup triumph, any semblance of success is surely already out of reach, with many having hoped for a top-four finish in a quick change in fortunes after the nightmare of 2022-23. Chelsea have had such turnarounds in the past, of course, going from 10th in 2015-16 to champions the following season under Antonio Conte.
As it's transpired, that malaise has not been easy to shake off this time around, with expectations lowered significantly as we enter the run-in.
However, the Blues are unbeaten in six Premier League games – comfortably their longest streak this season, although that does include the disappointing draws against Brentford and Burnley. If there were the shoots of recovery, the improbable comeback against Manchester United – a giant, albeit a fallen one – can inject some much-needed confidence and act as a springboard to winning more consistently and, perhaps, less chaotically.
Advertisement(C)GettyImages'Turning point'
Speaking after the game, Pochettino was clearly keen to enforce the message that such an incredible result against an age-old rival had to be a catalyst for change.
"It was amazing," he said in his post-match press conference. "We were the better team today and it was fair we scored in the the last minute.
"We started really well, 2-0, the game was under control, then we made a mistake and suffered an emotional impact. It wasn't easy to deal with. In the second half we controlled the game (but) conceded in transitions.
"It was important to finish like that, creating the connection between our fans and players. It's a very good thing that happened today. It should be a turning point for the fans' trust in the team."
He added: "It is a start to building a connection with the fans and it will be very helpful for the future of us."
Getty ImagesUnexpected hope
Indeed, given how the rest of the Premier League table is shaping up, the victory over United may well take on much more significance than many might have expected.
Chelsea are slap-bang in mid-table, but winning a valuable game in hand could see them bunny-hop Brighton, Newcastle and West Ham into seventh – although that fixture will come against top-four chasing Tottenham in early May.
The Blues always tend to show up against their fierce London rivals, though, and that potential leap up the standings should serve as motivation in itself; UEFA's changes to the Champions League format next season mean that seventh place could be enough for Europa League qualification, if England is given a fifth Champions League place and provided a team within the top seven wins the FA Cup after Liverpool's Carabao Cup triumph.
In that scenario, eighth would also deliver a Conference League place, so Chelsea unexpectedly find themselves with something to play for. Winning the FA Cup also offers a route to the Europa League group phase, of course, but Chelsea are underdogs in a semi-final clash with Man City.
GettyAnother false dawn?
The fixture list should technically provide reason for some optimism, too. The Blues face strugglers Sheffield United and Everton in their next two league games, which gives them a chance to build some momentum before a tricky run against Arsenal, Aston Villa and Spurs.
The problem is, despite their current unbeaten streak, Chelsea have been far too inconsistent to inspire any confidence. It has been a case of one step forwards and two steps back all season, and few would put money on them beating either the Blades or the Toffees despite their respective terrible runs of form.
If they don't win both of those games, then the subsequent trio of tough fixtures could easily be enough to end their faint hopes of escaping the clutches of mid-table for another year.
After their fast start, a significant portion of the performance against Manchester United was symptomatic of Chelsea's season as a whole: chaotic, error-ridden and completely out of control.
Moises Caicedo passed the ball straight to Alejandro Garnacho to allow him to run in and pull one back; Bruno Fernandes was somehow left completely unmarked to nod in the equaliser; Benoit Badiashile carelessly gave the ball away before Antony's exquisite pass set up Garnacho to put the visitors ahead. If Chelsea can't iron these errors out, they really have no hope.