Chelsea will be in top form in the second half of the season.

Chelsea started this season hoping to get back inside the top four, and their fans want to see how Mauricio Pochettino will perform on their bench.

They made the Argentinian manager their gaffer despite his past affiliation with Tottenham and the Battle of the Bridge involving his Spurs side and Chelsea in 2016.

Poch has been around the European scene for a long time, and his spell as the manager of Tottenham made him one of the most recognisable coaches in the world.

He was not an exciting appointee among the Chelsea fanbase, but the Argentinian has been their best manager since last season.

The Blues had three gaffers in that campaign, with Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard failing to stop the rot at the club.

This means the task at hand for Poch is tough, and he probably needs help to take the team to the top of the Premier League.

Can Chelsea win the Premier League?

Considering how terrible they were in the last campaign, it is unreasonable to expect Chelsea to challenge for the league title soon.

At the start of this term, the Blues have splashed the cash to sign players worth almost $1 billion, but their team is not ready to win a title.

Most of the players at Stamford Bridge at the moment are youngsters who are at the start of their careers.

They are exciting players to watch, and Pochettino is one of the best coaches for young players; we can tell this from his previous spell at Tottenham.

However, it is hard to see them winning the Premier League this season or in the campaigns to follow.

Like they say in football: "Youngsters cannot win you trophies." The current Chelsea team will do better than last term, but it is indeed difficult to see them win the league.

They have had a good run in the League Cup and may win that competition, which will be great, but they will need a long time to succeed in the league.

What will a good season look like to Chelsea fans?

Supporters who buy Chelsea tickets have come to expect so much from their team because of the many years the club was owned by Roman Abramovich.

The Russian owner spared no expense to bring success to West London, including naming the best coaches to their bench and signing legendary players.

The Blues supporters are spoiled with success, which is why they were sad about how badly last season went.

Football fans are often the most impatient in the world, but Chelsea supporters have to lower their expectations this term.

Pochettino is not a magician, even though he is a good coach. The Blues supporters must be ready to offer him time to create a team that will consistently bring success.

As his team performs well in the Carabao Cup, if they can secure that trophy and finish in any European spot, this term should be considered a success.

But we expect them to have a big second half of the season, and here are some reasons for that:

Record against the strong opponents

Chelsea has impressed in the tough games in this first half of the season, and their results in the head-to-head matches against the strongest opponents in the league suggest they should have been in a better place on the table.

The Blues drew 2-2 with Arsenal when the Gunners were flying high and were unbeaten. Indeed, they could have won that match, having gone two goals up before dropping two points.

Their first fixture of the season was against Liverpool, an opponent many considered better prepared for the season than the Blues, but Chelsea earned a point despite that being Poch's first league game in charge.

They went to North London to face Tottenham, who had been unbeaten and threatened to run away with the league title in the first half of the season.

Chelsea made Spurs very uncomfortable and defeated the Lilywhites 4-1 away from Stamford Bridge. It remains one of the league's most significant results in the season.

Before the November international break, the Blues faced Manchester City, and it was a game we all thought they could lose because, of course, they were facing City.

However, Poch's men showed real character and the game ended 4-4 as they responded each time Manchester City went in front.

It was a show of real strength from the Blues and could be a launchpad for them to start defeating any opponent after the break.

Chelsea's record against the top clubs in the league is a real strength that could easily turn the Blues into challengers for the European spots in the second half of the season.

Players hitting top form

Pochettino inherited a team of underperforming players, but the gaffer is bringing the best out of them.

Poch has a knack for turning poor players into better-performing stars, having done this while at Southampton and Tottenham.

He deserves credit for some of the football Chelsea is playing and his players seem happy to work hard for him.

Raheem Sterling was dismal last season after moving to Chelsea from Manchester City, but he has looked much better this term, with fans questioning why England did not invite him for the November games.

Cole Palmer has also hit the ground running after his summer move from City, and he seems like a natural top talent.

In defence, the Blues are getting a good performance from the evergreen Thiago Silva, who is grooming the likes of Axel Disasi to do well in every game.

Moises Caicedo struggled at the start of his spell, but the Ecuadorian is now in great shape and he is forming an excellent bond with Enzo Fernandez in the middle of the pitch.

Their partnership alongside Conor Gallagher has made Chelsea's midfield solid and hard to penetrate. They will keep improving, which means the second half of the season could be a real positive for the Blues.

Lack of European football

Not playing in the Champions League or any European competition has been terrible for Chelsea as a club, particularly because their fans have always enjoyed European campaigns.

But a poor 2022/2023 season meant they had to start without European commitments this term, and it is a blessing in disguise.

Because the Blues are at the start of their rebuild, playing in Europe and domestic competitions may significantly strain their playing squad.

It would also affect them in league games every weekend as most of their players could be overworked.

While the teams in the Champions League will earn an extra income, playing in four competitions in the second half of the season will begin to take its toll on their squad.

This will be a good thing for Chelsea as the Blues are not dealing with that extra workload, so their players will be fresher every weekend when they have a game.

This is a huge advantage for the second half of the season, and it could help them earn wins against the top sides in the competition, who would have tired legs due to the number of games their players are involved in.

Big squad to deal with fatigue

Another advantage Chelsea has that will be pivotal in the second half of the season is a large squad.

The Blues' current owners have spent so much money on signing young players worldwide.

Poch's team can boast- of at least two players who can comfortably play in each position, which is impressive.

At the business end of the season, this depth will be helpful to cover for players who have played too many games and need a rest.

Some clubs cannot afford to rest key players, but Chelsea can because they have a capable replacement.