Mauricio Pochettino Holds 6Th Highest Points-per-Match Record in PL

Mauricio Pochettino holds a points-per-match record in the Premier League that places him behind only five legendary managers in the division’s history, Báo Lao Động reported.

Among managers who have taken charge of at least 290 club matches in the English top flight, only Alex Ferguson, Arsène Wenger, José Mourinho, Jürgen Klopp, and Pep Guardiola boast a higher points average than the Argentine coach.

Those figures reflect his work raising the standards at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur. Pochettino took over Southampton in January 2013 following their promotion after a seven-year absence, guiding them to an eighth-place finish in his only full campaign.

He subsequently moved to Tottenham, leading the club to a second-place finish in the 2016-2017 season and third place in the campaigns immediately before and after. His tenure also featured a run to the UEFA Champions League final in 2019.

Where does Mauricio Pochettino rank among Premier League managers? — ESPN FC

Pochettino spent 18 months at Paris Saint-Germain where he won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France, but his most recent test in English football came during the 2023-2024 season at Chelsea.

Chelsea finished the previous campaign in 12th place during the first year under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. Pochettino elevated the Blues to sixth place in the 2023-2024 standings, backed by a squad that Transfermarkt valued as the third-highest in the Premier League in October 2023.

During that span, the club outspent every other team across Europe’s top five leagues through three consecutive transfer windows from the summer of 2022 to the summer of 2023.

Statistical models projected Chelsea to reach 63.4 points, which placed them fifth in expected points for the 2023-2024 season. Yet the team struggled with defensive stability under his watch, conceding 63 goals while scoring 77—the club’s worst defensive record in the Premier League era.

Inconsistency defined the latter stages of Chelsea’s campaign under Pochettino. The Blues drew 2-2 against bottom-placed Sheffield United, defeated Everton 6-0, and suffered a 5-0 defeat against Arsenal in April 2024.

Those scorelines mirrored earlier heavy defeats, including 4-1 losses to Tottenham and Newcastle, alongside a 4-4 draw against Manchester City.

Premier League tactics have changed since Pochettino departed Stamford Bridge, as high-pressing systems and set-piece efficiency increasingly decide match outcomes.

Opta data indicates that Manchester United tends to organize quicker attacks while deploying a less aggressive press than Chelsea did under Pochettino, pointing to necessary tactical adjustments if he takes charge at Old Trafford.

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