Pochettino targets trophy after reaching League Cup quarterfinals

Chelsea are into the last eight of this season’s League Cup competition, and that means we’re now just three wins away from winning an actual trophy, which would be a stellar achievement considering all that’s gone on at the club since winning our last trophy, the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup (in February 2022).

While it’s unlikely to be smooth sailing against Newcastle United in the quarterfinals next month unlike the rest of our journey thus far, if we can get past the Magpies, we would be right up there as favorites to win it all.

For head coach Mauricio Pochettino, we’re already there of course, at least in terms of ambition.

“We need to think that it is an important competition for us. We are not in Europe. That should be an opportunity for us like the Premier League and like in January we will start the FA Cup. Of course, we need to think we that we can win this competition.”

That’s all well and good, but that sort of ambition will need to be backed up by performances on the pitch, and those have not always been good enough to justify such lofty mission statements. Even last night’s fairly straightforward 2-0 win over second division opposition wasn’t without some familiar failings and shortcomings, especially in the final third.

But if we can keep improving, build some momentum once again, find some rhythm, and generate some confidence, we might just have a real chance of putting a shine on this season with some proper silverware.

“After Saturday it was important for us to win the game and go through the competition. Of course too many chances, we need to be more clinical, that you cannot change from Saturday to today. Its about time to build the confidence.

“I think too many positive things. Important to stay and go through in this competition, that is important for us and build confidence. [...] now we go forward to the next round but now to prepare for the next two games before the international break.”

-Mauricio Pochettino; source: Football.London

Those next two games are against the two best teams in the league so far, leaders Tottenham Hotspur and defending champions Manchester City. Getting a point or two out those two games would be a massive boost for confidence, to say the least.