Mauricio Pochettino has been named the new manager of Chelsea on a two-year deal, returning to the Premier League four years after being sacked by Tottenham. Pochettino has turned down several offers since leaving Paris St-Germain in July 2022. The Argentine coach has a fine reputation in England from his work at Tottenham and will be looking to prove that he can win trophies in the country, after securing the Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France during his spell at PSG.
Pochettino’s appointment is an important moment for Chelsea, whose co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have had an underwhelming first year, with the club’s season being embarrassing. Mauricio Pochettino is Chelsea’s sixth permanent manager in five years after the sacking of Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter earlier this season.
Chelsea had a difficult season, finishing 12th under interim boss Frank Lampard, their lowest position since 1994. Pochettino, who was named Tottenham boss in 2014, led the club to their highest final position in the Premier League and the Champions League final the following season. He left Spurs in 2019 to manage Paris St-Germain.
Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton Relegated:
Leicester City have been relegated from the Premier League, seven years after their title triumph, despite a 2-1 win over West Ham on the final day of the season. Everton secured their 69-year stay in the top-flight by beating Bournemouth 1-0, while Leeds were also relegated after a 4-1 defeat to Tottenham. Manchester City’s 25-game unbeaten run came to an end with a 1-0 loss to Brentford. Arsenal ended their season with a 5-0 win against Wolves, while Manchester United secured third place with a 2-1 victory over Fulham. A 4-4 draw between Southampton and Liverpool was the game of the day. Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton Town will replace Southampton, Leeds and Leicester in the top flight for 2023-24.
Aston Villa In the Conference League:
Aston Villa beat Brighton to secure seventh place in the Premier League and a spot in the Europa Conference League for next season. The team turned their fortunes around under coach Unai Emery, who replaced Steven Gerrard in October after a poor start to the season. Emery’s success in the Europa League with Arsenal and Sevilla gave fans hope for the future.