Arsenal's 5-0 thumping of Chelsea at the Emirates on Tuesday was a stark reminder of what this billion-pound team has become under the stewardship of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. Nothing more than a mid-table Premier League side.
Bewildered, leaky and wasteful in the absence of Cole Palmer, who has undeniably been Chelsea's sole shining light this season, the Blues were made to look distinctly average by Mikel Arteta's title-chasing machine as they slipped down to ninth in the table, closer to the relegation zone than third place in terms of points.
Chelsea fans, who furiously left the Emirates en masse on Tuesday night, are fully aware that success doesn't happen overnight. They've heard countless times the process-signalling proverb of 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. But after a second season of underperformance, and a successive mid-table finish threatening, many disgruntled and crestfallen supporters have simply had enough.
The job Mauricio Pochettino was faced with upon arriving at Stamford Bridge last summer was never going to be easy. Inheriting an excessive array of expensive, young stars and taking over after three managerial exits the previous campaign, the Argentine was given a weak foundation from the outset. And there has been some progress, however small, during the manager's debut season.
So, should the Chelsea board back or sack Pochettino? Mail Sport takes a look at the arguments for and against as the Blues head for another seismic summer at Stamford Bridge.
BACK - Gradual improvements
There may still be little to celebrate at Stamford Bridge after another below-par season, but Pochettino has at least put Chelsea back on the road to success.
If the Blues were more clinical in the final third - both
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