- 9 hours ago
Pochettino makes incredible comment about Chelsea stars after ‘SO BAD’ Arsenal lesson
Robin Bairner
- 24 Apr 2024 06:33 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea suffered a difficult experience on Wednesday against Arsenal as they were thumped 5-0 at the Emirates in Premier League action.
Having been competitive in the first half, the Blues slumped after the break, with the Gunners finding space much too easily and netting four second-half goals to secure what for them was a famous success.
It was a dark night in Chelsea history, yet manager Mauricio Pochettino refused to blame his players for the defeat, instead making a string of excuses for them.
READ MORE: How much will it cost for Chelsea to sack Pochettino?
When we have bad days, we are so bad. We are capable of being very good and then a few days later being very bad...
- Mauricio Pochettino“I'm not going to blame the players. The circumstances are bigger than the performance here today,” he told the media.
“We can't blame young guys that came here to fight against a team trying to win the Premier League. I'm not going to use that word ['embarrassed']. That's an unfair word to describe how we feel about our players...
“But this is an experience we need to make sure doesn't happen in the future. The club is building a new project, a new way to operate. When you build a new and young squad, you take some risk. And the circumstances [injuries, two games in four days etc.] are not helping us be more competitive, be better or be more consistent.”
He did admit, however: “When we have bad days, we are so bad. We are capable of being very good and then a few days later being very bad...”
READ MORE: What is Chelsea’s biggest loss of all time?
What ‘circumstances’ is Pochettino talking about?
Pochettino is hinting at Chelsea’s extensive injury list, which has been a problem throughout the season.
For the trip to Arsenal, there were 10 players on the sidelines, including long-term absentees Reece James, Wesley Fofana and Christopher Nkunku, who has barely played this season. Also missing were Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto and, of course, Cole Palmer, who has been so vital to the Blues this season.
Additionally, Chelsea went into the midweek game having played Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday, while Arsenal had the weekend off.
