'Bro got saved' - Man Utd heroics were spectacular but Mauricio Pochettino's still on thin ice at Chelsea... he's got seven weeks to truly put things right

When the dust settles on the incredible drama at Stamford Bridge, a glance at the Premier League table will bring many Chelsea supporters thudding back to earth; the Blues are still down in 10th, with the likes of Brighton, West Ham and Newcastle ahead of them.

Barring an unlikely FA Cup triumph, any semblance of success is surely already out of reach, with many having hoped for a top-four finish in a quick change in fortunes after the nightmare of 2022-23. Chelsea have had such turnarounds in the past, of course, going from 10th in 2015-16 to champions the following season under Antonio Conte.

As it's transpired, that malaise has not been easy to shake off this time around, with expectations lowered significantly as we enter the run-in.

However, the Blues are unbeaten in six Premier League games - comfortably their longest streak this season, although that does include the disappointing draws against Brentford and Burnley. If there were the shoots of recovery, the improbable comeback against Manchester United - a giant, albeit a fallen one - can inject some much-needed confidence and act as a springboard to winning more consistently and, perhaps, less chaotically.

Speaking after the game, Pochettino was clearly keen to enforce the message that such an incredible result against an age-old rival had to be a catalyst for change.

"It was amazing," he said in his post-match press conference. "We were the better team today and it was fair we scored in the the last minute.

"We started really well, 2-0, the game was under control, then we made a mistake and suffered an emotional impact. It wasn't easy to deal with. In the second half we controlled the game (but) conceded in transitions.

"It was important to finish like that, creating the connection between our fans and players. It's a very good thing that happened today. It should be a turning point for the fans' trust in the team."

He added: "It is a start to building a connection with the fans and it will be very helpful for the future of us."

Indeed, given how the rest of the Premier League table is shaping up, the victory over United may well take on much more significance than many might have expected.

Chelsea are slap-bang in mid-table, but winning a valuable game in hand could see them bunny-hop Brighton, Newcastle and West Ham into seventh - although that fixture will come against top-four chasing Tottenham in early May.

The Blues always tend to show up against their fierce London rivals, though, and that potential leap up the standings should serve as motivation in itself; UEFA's changes to the Champions League format next season mean that seventh place could be enough for Europa League qualification, if England is given a fifth Champions League place and provided a team within the top seven wins the FA Cup after Liverpool's Carabao Cup triumph.

In that scenario, eighth would also deliver a Conference League place, so Chelsea unexpectedly find themselves with something to play for. Winning the FA Cup also offers a route to the Europa League group phase, of course, but Chelsea are underdogs in a semi-final clash with Man City.

The fixture list should technically provide reason for some optimism, too. The Blues face strugglers Sheffield United and Everton in their next two league games, which gives them a chance to build some momentum before a tricky run against Arsenal, Aston Villa and Spurs.

The problem is, despite their current unbeaten streak, Chelsea have been far too inconsistent to inspire any confidence. It has been a case of one step forwards and two steps back all season, and few would put money on them beating either the Blades or the Toffees despite their respective terrible runs of form.

If they don't win both of those games, then the subsequent trio of tough fixtures could easily be enough to end their faint hopes of escaping the clutches of mid-table for another year.

After their fast start, a significant portion of the performance against Manchester United was symptomatic of Chelsea's season as a whole: chaotic, error-ridden and completely out of control.

Moises Caicedo passed the ball straight to Alejandro Garnacho to allow him to run in and pull one back; Bruno Fernandes was somehow left completely unmarked to nod in the equaliser; Benoit Badiashile carelessly gave the ball away before Antony's exquisite pass set up Garnacho to put the visitors ahead. If Chelsea can't iron these errors out, they really have no hope.

Despite showing the kind of passion that has helped previous managers to win over the Chelsea faithful, Pochettino is also still struggling to endear himself to a fanbase that sees him as indelibly linked to Tottenham, while results have done little to shift the perception that he is 'Spursy' and lift the already-gloomy mood around the club after last season's disaster.

He has spoken frequently about wanting to develop that relationship, having been targeted by chants of 'f*ck off Mauricio' during the recent draw with Brentford, and the club shared a photo on social media of him punching the air at full-time in the wake of the dramatic comeback.

However, the post pulled in a little over half the number of 'likes' of an image of the players celebrating together, and the most-liked comment read "Bro got saved", suggesting Palmer's last-ditch heroics kept his manager in the job.

He faces a very steep uphill battle, but there are signs that perceptions are slowly changing, with others commending the performance and the remarkable nature of the victory. Indeed, the Argentine deserves credit for securing a first win over a top-six side in more than two years and the scenes at full-time suggest it's not too late for the mood to be overhauled.

Isolated reports of a dressing room revolt have swiftly become muted and the jubilation on Thursday night reflected that the players, at least, are behind the manager, as he shared bear hugs with various members of his ecstatic squad.

With nine league games to go, as well as the FA Cup showdown with City, the onus is on him to use the result as a springboard to salvage Chelsea's season and, quite possibly, save himself.

It has been consistently reported that Pochettino's position will only be reviewed at the end of the season despite previous calls for his head, and co-owner Todd Boehly's recent comments reflect that stance: "We just need to let the process develop and give them the time to go from being unbelievable individual players with great skills to fold into a team," he said.

"The good news is people care so much. And the bad news is people care so much. That leads to times when they’re frustrated with the team and the owners. I get that, but we just have to continue to stay the course."

Few would be able to argue with the Argentine being given another crack next season if he can mastermind a late push up the table and Europa League qualification, given the adversity he has faced this season in the form of a never-ending injury crisis.

Indeed, that could be the making of him as Chelsea manager as he inevitably gains more support, and he will look back on the United comeback as the catalyst for a seismic shift.