Pochettino says Chelsea achieved important FIRST against Man Utd

Robin Bairner

• 5 Apr 2024 21:25 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has reflected on the important first his team experienced as they defeated Manchester United 4-3 in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

In what was arguably the most entertaining match of the season to date, the Blues established a 2-0 lead only to trail 3-2 deep in second-half stoppage time. Incredibly, they turned the game around thanks to a Cole Palmer double in the 100th and 101st minute.

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It led to incredible scenes around the stadium at full-time, and it was this communion with the fans that Pochettino was delighted to see.

“I am so happy not only for the three points and performance. But for me it is the first time that I start to feel the connection between the team and the fans. That is going to be a really helpful for us for the rest of the season. It's really important,” he told the media.

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Pochettino: Joining Chelsea was a risk

Pochettino added that joining Chelsea was a risk, not just because he is a former Tottenham manager, but also because of the type of project that the club is undertaking.

“We knew it was a massive challenge to build a team, to win games, to be competitive and to take the risk with the fans,” he said.

“I am not going to be populist. I said from the beginning, I want to build a genuine relationship, not to kiss the badge or do stupid things on the touchline to win over the fans.”

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The victory over Manchester United will only briefly lift the pressure on Pochettino if Chelsea fail to build on the momentum they gained in that fixture going ahead.

The Blues find themselves 10th in the Premier League table, which is not where they had hoped to be when Pochettino took command last summer.