Although the Blues aren’t where they want to be, there are indications that things will get better soon.

It might take some time for a new coach to fully implement their system, particularly if the squad has had significant turnover. This has been the situation since Mauricio Pochettino took over at Chelsea. On Sunday, the Blues and Reds played to a 4–4 draw at Stamford Bridge, which felt more like a win because the Blues forced the league’s best team to the limit. Every time City took the lead, Chelsea was able to respond, and this outcome could be another evidence of the Blues’ blossoming.

Although there is still much need for defensive development, Chelsea is getting better every day now that their offensive is starting to connect. It should come as no surprise that Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson’s goals were crucial to the outcome since Pochettino has the ability to bring out the best in young players. The Blues have to be taken seriously as a squad that can upset elite teams after spending the entire week being dismissed for defeating a nine-man Tottenham team on Monday.

Chelsea’s season began with them losing four of their first five games and scoring less goals than anticipated, but since then, a significant amount has changed. Chelsea has amassed 11 points over the last six games, going 3-2-1 overall, to move into the top half of the league. Though there is still much to be done, not only will Jackson and Palmer’s improved play be helpful, but Christopher Nkunku’s return—who was first predicted to remain out until the new year—is rapidly approaching.

Nkunku was brought in to convert all of Chelsea’s creative play into goals, and while Pochettino will have selection headaches upon his return, having several excellent strikers at his disposal can only be advantageous. No team has scored more goals than Chelsea (16) since the start of October. They also hold the second-highest number of wins and third-most shots on goal in the league during that time. Chelsea’s assault has been quite effective lately, even measured by xG stats, and City saw this firsthand.

In this case, Chelsea’s development could potentially be halted by an international break, but with Nkunku’s impending return, Chelsea’s current efforts will only be strengthened and more time to prepare will be available.

There are concerns about whether Chelsea has gotten itself into too much of a hole given that they are already 10 points behind the top four clubs in the standings, but the Blues are doing everything in their power to close the gap with the teams in front of them. Chelsea’s opponents after the break—Newcastle United, Brighton, and Manchester United—will make it clear to the league where they stand. They’ll quickly forget about their bad start to the season if they keep going at this rate.