It was announced all the way back in May that Mauricio Pochettino would succeed Graham Potter as the permanent manager of Chelsea Football Club, but he only joined the rest of the staff and players on Monday, July 3.

The Argentine returns to the dugout for the first time since his tenure at Paris Saint-Germain and has landed a return to the Premier League scene after departing Tottenham Hotspur after the 2018/19 season.

In this piece, we look at what Chelsea could be getting from the Argentine and the potential impact he stands to make at the Bridge.

Pochettino is well-known for his extensive and dynamic 4-2-3-1 formation, which relies on strings of passes executed at lightning pace to move upfield.

This was most relevant at Spurs, whose decisive and exciting football under Pochettino saw them finish second in the Premier League in the 2016/17 season and reach the Champions League final in the 2018/19 season.

This style of play is more or less a good fit for the Blues, who are known for the general attacking mindset they have exhibited over the years. It will be interesting to see if Pochettino utilises his signature 4-2-3-1, and whether it will work if he does.

One thing which will be of concern to the new gaffer is the false 9 system Chelsea have adopted since the exit of Mauricio Sarri in 2019.

Pochettino’s system is centred on a traditional number nine, whose finishing is over the ceiling, leading the line. That was evident with Harry Kane at Spurs and Kylian Mbappe at PSG, with the former reaping more success.

With the departure of Kai Havertz, who has swapped Stamford Bridge for the Emirates, Pochettino has room for invention. He has the choice to use Romelu Lukaku - that is if the Blues faithful decide to count on him for another season - the same way he used Kane and Mbappe.

Thomas Tuchel tried (deploying Lukaku as a target man) two seasons ago and it massively backfired as the Belgian was unable to do justice to the demands of the role, leading to his loan move back to Inter Milan last season.

This approach backfired on Pochettino when he moved Mbappe to a central role to fit his style at PSG.

In the case where the cub fails to keep Lukaku, Nicolas Jackson becomes the ultimate option for Pochettino following the Senegal international’s arrival this summer. Jackson is used to the role and this was the reason behind his fine season for Villarreal in the Spanish league during the 2022/23 season, where he started 13 times, registering 9 goals and 3 assists.

Another obvious roadblock in Pochettino’s plans is his ties with Spurs, who are Chelsea’s traditional rivals. He must work very hard to endear himself to the Chelsea fanbase, who have met his appointment with mixed reactions. Similarly, even a short poor run of form will see him face serious scrutiny.

Ultimately, the footballing world will have to wait a few months to draw a verdict on Pochettino’s appointment. His first game in charge will come on July 23 when Chelsea face Leicester City in a pre-season game.

However, the first real test will be the Premier League opening day next month with Chelsea taking on Brentford.