Mauricio Pochettino Chelsea transfer decision proven right as new injury blow confirmed

After a lethargic and rather languid start to their first campaign under Mauricio Pochettino, supporters were concerned. What had been a promising preseason that saw goals from the likes of Ian Maatsen, Mykhailo Mudryk and Nicolas Jackson was turning into a nightmarish beginning in front of the net.

A lone 3-0 win over newly-promoted Luton Town was sandwiched in between a torrid run which saw losses to West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa as well as a draw against Bournemouth provide just a single goal between all four matches. Until the 50th minute of the Carabao Cup Third Round clash against Brighton, it looked as though the club would have to postpone their Goal Of The Month competition — simply because Pochettino's men had failed to score.

However, since then, the Blues have failed to score at least two goals on just one occasion — the 2-0 loss to Brentford at Stamford Bridge in mid-October. But despite that outlier, everything has been turning up Chelsea over the past few weeks.

It's no coincidence either that this period has come during Cole Palmer's integration into the starting XI. The former Manchester City youngster appears to be the talisman that the Blues manager has been calling for going forward, and has been pivotal in unlocking the potential success buried deep within this Chelsea team.

Four goals in his last five appearances, two coming during instrumental performances in both the 4-1 win over Tottenham and the 4-4 draw against his former club, have meant the star has quickly become a fan favourite. His actions haven't gone unnoticed by the top brass either, with England manager Gareth Southgate calling the youngster up to the senior squad during the November international break after James Maddison