The season is over and there is little doubt that Chelsea are ready to move on. The first term under new ownership has been tumultuous for the Blues and it's little wonder the club have looked to launch the next with the announcement of Mauricio Pochettino's arrival.
There will be a pause before the new Blues boss will officially start for the 2023/24 season, but the former Spurs boss will have plenty to reflect upon as he looks to inspire success. There has been little to speak of in the last 12 months.
football.london takes a moment to look back on the winners and losers from this campaign.
READ MORE : Chelsea make another major decision behind the scenes following Mauricio Pochettino appointment
Winners
Lewis Hall - A player that has not been burdened by Chelsea's struggles who has very nearly produced an entirely positive set of performances. The 18-year-old has positioned himself strongly heading into any talks over a new contract and heads to join up with England under-21s for the first time.
The Blues will be left with a tough decision to decide whether he remains with the first team next term or is better served by a loan. Given the quality of how his season ended, Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella will be looking over their shoulders.
Thiago Silva - The Brazilian was named Chelsea's player of the year and players' player of the year following the culmination of the season, and deservedly so. The 38-year-old has continued to build his reputation with unmatched consistency. The former PSG star secured another year in west London with a contract extension, where his son is also flourishing within the Blues' academy. No Champions League football will be a blow to him, but he will have so much to teach the next generation of Chelsea's defence.
Kepa Arrizabalaga - The 27-year-old may not have cemented his position as Chelsea's No. 1 for the future, but certainly found himself in the position for 2022/23. With a transfer having failed to materialise, Kepa is unlikely to have expected to play so much football this season and with it produced some outstanding displays and kept his place under a number of managers.
Enzo Fernandez - When arriving for in excess of £100million there is an expectation to hit the ground running, and while Chelsea may not have lived up to their end of the bargain, Fernandez has produced. A pillar of consistency has hinted that there is only more to come. That Pochettino appears to want a defensive midfielder will only serve to help unlock his full potential.
Also, he won the World Cup. That's not bad at all.
Mauricio Pochettino - There is no doubting the difficulty of the job Pochettino arrives to do. Frank Lampard made that very clear in his final press conference in charge. However, in comparison to what Graham Potter found, Pochettino will find himself in a strong position in working with Chelsea's hierarchy and the player group, providing things can not get much worse.
The 51-year-old will hope many issues with regard to his squad will be resolved by the time pre-season gets underway and will have few distractions with no European football to indoctrinate the team with his methods and to find Premier League success.
Losers
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Simply a waste of a season for the forward. Aubameyang must have been in disbelief to see Thomas Tuchel's departure so soon after his arrival. The Blues were hesitant to sign an out-and-out striker and Graham Potter and Lampard have both decided the striker was not one they could trust.
Marc Cucurella - After a quick and successful start at Brighton, where Cucurella was named player of the season, the defender was unable to replicate that for Chelsea. A significant price-tag will not have helped and his connection to head coach Potter, certainly intensified reaction to his performances. The Spaniard will hope to bounce back next term.
Edouard Mendy - The Senegal international has endured a difficult season due to injury and being displaced by Kepa. Mendy started the season with a high-profile error against Leeds, and failed to show the security warranted when he received his chance under Lampard against Nottingham Forest.
It will not have been how the goalkeeper saw his season panning out and with the intention to open contract talks last summer, nothing has been agreed and Mendy's future may now lie elsewhere with just two years remaining on his deal.
Chelsea's owners - While there are a variety of reasons for Chelsea's failures; dropping from third to 12th, with four separate people having taken charge of a Blues match, transfers not paying off and lots of turnover behind the scenes, the blame may lie at the door of the club's biggest change - the arrival of new owners.
There has been success at Chelsea with the women's team earning WSL and FA Cup glory once again, while the development side has bounced back from a relegation-threatened season to contend for the title in Premier League 2. Their leadership has seen stability, while the senior men's team has had anything but.
Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have all of the work to do to persuade supporters of their merit, despite signings such as Enzo Fernandez.
Graham Potter - The former Blues boss was assured he was seen as a long-term appointment and missing out on Champions League football would not be a condition to maintain his employment. Unfortunately, having jumped from Brighton, Potter was unable to sustain any kind of form for Chelsea and only found more difficulties as the size of the squad increased in January.
The 48-year-old will have suffered a blow having ultimately failed in his first attempt at a traditionally big job and may now have to wait a while for another opportunity.
Who is your Chelsea player of the season? Have your say by voting below!
READ NEXT:
Mauricio Pochettino first Chelsea signing revealed and it's not Christopher Nkunku
What Chelsea's £250m summer transfer gamble means for Mauricio Pochettino
Erik Ten Hag hints at first Mauricio Pochettino Chelsea exit in £15m deal to start summer exodus
Christopher Nkunku sends perfect message to Chelsea ahead of summer transfer
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: 'Done deal', Rice £95m offer, Ugarte talks, Nkunku plan
