The Blues’ great form sees us going into our final match of the season in sixth and with European qualification in our sights.

Fifth place would guarantee Europa League qualification and sixth could also secure a spot in the competition if Manchester City win the FA Cup. Seventh would then be enough to book a spot in the Conference League.

Alternatively, a Manchester United win at Wembley Stadium on May 25 would see the Red Devils secure the Europa League spot and mean sixth in the Premier League would be a Conference League spot, with seventh missing out on Europe entirely.

Chelsea are currently sixth, three points behind fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur, who are heading to already relegated Sheffield United. However, the Blues do have a superior goal difference of three.

Newcastle United and Manchester United are then three points behind Chelsea in seventh and eighth respectively, with the Magpies’ goal difference being eight better than the Blues.

Manchester United’s goal difference of minus three, compared to Chelsea’s plus 13, means the Red Devils would need a truly remarkable set of results to now finish in seventh.

Pochettino and his players therefore know that a win or a draw against Bournemouth would guarantee European football next season regardless of results elsewhere.

He said: ‘I think it’s really important for us to finish in the way we are going now, with the confidence and the way we are playing in the last few months.

‘It’s really important for the team, the players and the club to achieve one of the objectives which was to play in Europe next season.’

Chelsea have won five of our past six Premier League games at Stamford Bridge, drawing the other, and our last home defeat against Wolves on 4 February is our only loss in 19 in all competitions at the Bridge.

Only title-chasing Manchester City and Arsenal have picked up more points than us in recent months, making the prospect of finishing fifth a realistic possibility.

But Pochettino added: ‘The most important thing now is to think about performing and be sure we are going to compete in the best way against Bournemouth.

‘It’s going to be a very tough game because they are doing so well and Andoni Iraola is doing a fantastic job – it is a tough game.

‘The important thing is to finish well and after we see if we have the chance to be fifth, which would be amazing for us.’

Chelsea will have to go in search of victory without Reece James after our captain received a straight red card for kicking out at Joao Pedro on Wednesday night.

James – who has missed most of this season through injury – will therefore be suspended for the season finale against Bournemouth and is expected to sit out the opening three matches of the 2024/25 campaign.

Pochettino said: ‘It was a very difficult season but now we need to help him move on and then accept the punishment that for sure will be there in the next few days.

‘The most important thing is that we back him, we trust him, and for sure he needs to be ready for pre-season to train and to build his fitness. Then the talent is there and next season for sure he will be one of the best players in the Premier League again.’

One player hoping to feature though is Christopher Nkunku after the France international made a huge impact from the bench at Brighton, scoring his first goal since January following a hamstring injury which ruled him out for nine matches.

The 26-year-old has been slowly increasing his minutes since returning three matches ago and on Wednesday night he came on earlier than expected when Mykhailo Mudryk was forced off through a concussion substitute on 42 minutes.

When asked if Nkunku might start on Sunday, Pochettino replied: ‘He played more than we expected because of the problem with Mudryk, he played 70 minutes [if you include injury-time], a little longer than we planned.

‘Tomorrow we will assess whether he can start. For sure 90 minutes is difficult for him to play and we played Wednesday and now on Sunday again. If you don’t have one week to recover, it’s a little shorter.

‘We need to not take risks. With the performance staff and the medical staff, we will take the best decision for him first and then for the team.

‘It is easy now to say he will start the game but we cannot take the risk because he needs to finish well, with good feelings, and be ready for pre-season. The same as Reece James.’

Sunday’s season finale will also mark the end of Thiago Silva’s time at Chelsea, with the 39-year-old set to return to Brazil with Fluminense in the summer.

And Pochettino said: ‘We will miss him. Thiago has had a fantastic career and here in his time at Chelsea. We are going to miss him because always when a big character leaves the club, we are going to miss them.’