Chelsea’s 4-2 defeat at home to Wolves brought further scrutiny on manager Mauricio Pochettino and the Blues’ expensively-assembled squad.

It was Pochettino’s 31st game in charge, the same number Graham Potter was given before he was sacked last season, and here the PA news agency looks at the Argentinian’s record with the club.

Slow progress

Potter was sacked after just over six months in charge and a record reading won 12, drew eight, lost 11 in all competitions. Pochettino is two wins better off, showing at least some progress, but with the same number of losses.

With the £1billion of transfer expenditure since the club were taken over by Todd Boehly’s Clearlake consortium, Chelsea could reasonably have expected to turn the ship around somewhat quicker – though Pochettino does at least have an upcoming Carabao Cup final to point to as the club chase a first trophy since 2021.

Messi's Absence Sparks Anger in Hong Kong

The comparison to their previous 31 games immediately before his appointment is more favourable to Pochettino, owing to a feeble finish to last season under the caretaker management of Frank Lampard.

Lampard’s spell began with another defeat to Wolves as he won only one and lost eight of 11 games. Throw in a draw with Liverpool under caretaker Bruno Saltor and the final 19 games of Potter’s reign – won five, drew five, lost nine – and Chelsea’s record in that stretch consists of just six wins, eight draws and 17 defeats.

Pochettino has also improved their goalscoring record, with 54 goals in his time in charge for an average of 1.74 per game. Potter’s teams scored just 33, barely a goal a game. At the other end of the pitch, though, things have been more problematic…

Feel the fours

The Wolves game followed immediately on from a 4-1 defeat by Liverpool last Wednesday.

That is the second time under Pochettino that they have conceded four in back-to-back games, having done so in November against Manchester City – albeit in a 4-4 draw – and Newcastle.

Real Madrid Stumble in Derby While Barcelona Smile

That means they have suffered twice in the space of the last 17 games a fate that had never previously befallen them in the Premier League era, the most recent example coming in the old First Division in December 1989 when they lost 5-2 to Wimbledon, 4-2 to QPR and 5-2 to Liverpool in successive games.

The last week’s double setback has left Pochettino’s defence with a record of 43 goals conceded in 31 games, 1.39 per game, compared to exactly a goal a game under Potter.

Asking for his dismissal?

After the new thrashing suffered against the Wolves, Thiago Silva's wife posted a mysterious message on her social media without a recipient: "It's time to change. If you wait any longer, it will be too late," Belle Silva posted.

It is unknown who it was intended for, whether it was aimed at Chelsea calling for Pochettino's dismissal or even at her husband, whose contract with the Blues expires at the end of the current season, asking for a change of scenery.