A challenging start to life at Stamford Bridge meant the World Cup break was well timed for Graham Potter, but can he turn it around this season?
There are few Premier League managers who should have benefited more from the anomaly of a mid-season 'pre-season' than Chelsea's Graham Potter.
Although it feels like a lifetime ago, the Blues' form dipped alarmingly in early November after an encouraging start to Potter's tenure and they entered the World Cup break without a win in five Premier League games, culminating in three straight defeats.
But with all eyes fixed on Qatar for the past month, Potter will have been able to quietly go about his work in the background and make use of an incredibly rare opportunity to implement his ideas mid-season.
However, there are still plenty of questions to answer as Chelsea prepare to face Bournemouth in the Premier League on Tuesday.
GOAL runs through them below…
Getty6Are Chelsea's fitness problems behind them?
Given their lavish summer spending and (arguably superficial) squad depth, it is easy to forget that Chelsea were plagued by injuries in the early part of the season.
Key players Wesley Fofana, Reece James, N'Golo Kante and Ben Chilwell have all been sidelined for lengthy periods with knee and hamstring issues, respectively, but it was encouraging to see them included in the travelling squad for a warm weather training camp in Abu Dhabi ahead of a return to domestic action.
In October, Potter spoke of his desire to rectify the club's poor recent fitness record. "I don't think you should blame everything on luck that's for sure," he said. "I think we can have a look and see what we can do better. Obviously, I've been here a few weeks so I haven't got the answers completely. But clearly, we want to always try to improve and that's an area that we can probably improve."
The World Cup pause will have hopefully provided ample time, data and statistics to get to the bottom of their woes, though a setback for Fofana will be a concern.
AdvertisementGetty/GOAL5Stick or twist with World Cup stars?
Ironically, two of Chelsea's best performers at the World Cup are players whose futures at Stamford Bridge are far from certain: Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech.
Both wide men were transformed in their national team colours in Qatar, inspiring their nations to the knockout rounds.
Pulisic looked close to his best as he made three goal contributions in just four games for the United States, including the vital winning goal against Iran in the group stage.
Meanwhile, Ziyech was equally influential as he rediscovered his swagger – scoring an audacious lob and assisting too as Morocco topped a group that included Belgium and Croatia. Although his influence waned, he will surely be buoyed by making history as the Atlas Lions became the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Chelsea may well have a choice to make: Give the pair more opportunities and see whether their form translates to domestic action, or cash in on their eye-catching World Cup displays.
It's unlikely they will part with both in January, though.
Getty Images4What is Chelsea's best midfield?
Injuries haven't helped, but constant chopping and changing in midfield have resulted in Chelsea's lack of form, consistency and identity.
Jorginho, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mateo Kovacic and Conor Gallagher have shared the load in N'Golo Kante's notable absence, but none of them contribute enough in an attacking sense. Mason Mount could provide that impetus in a three, but he needs to buck up his ideas, too.
In truth, Chelsea missed a trick when they failed to reinforce that area in the summer, although Juventus loanee Denis Zakaria's performances suggest he deserves more opportunities.
There is work to be done. Potter needs to find the right balance – and fast.
Getty Images3What is Chelsea's best attack?
Similar to the midfield, both Thomas Tuchel and subsequently Potter's rotation has at least in part contributed to Chelsea's forward players struggling to hit the heights expected of them.
Depending on the set-up of the side – something that also changes on a regular basis – some combination of Kai Havertz, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling seems likely to become the most fruitful attack on paper, but it's clear they will need time to become a cohesive unit.
As previously mentioned, an in-form Pulisic or Ziyech could have a say if they can translate their international form to the Premier League.