“You can lose games to Arsenal” — Pochettino on Chelsea defeat

Chelsea endured a resounding defeat at the hands of Arsenal, marking their most significant setback of the season under manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Despite glimpses of opportunity, Chelsea’s struggles were evident throughout the match, with Arsenal capitalizing on defensive lapses and seizing control of the game early on.

Following the crushing 5-0 defeat, Pochettino expressed profound disappointment with his team’s performance, emphasizing the critical role played by their poor starts to both halves.

“I feel disappointed, really bad,” lamented Pochettino in his post-match assessment. “The performance wasn’t good, we didn’t start the game in the way we were supposed to start.”

Pochettino highlighted the ease with which Chelsea conceded goals and the subsequent struggle to regain momentum as pivotal factors in their defeat.

“We conceded the goal too easily, we made things so easy for Arsenal, started the game losing the game and after that it was really tough,” Pochettino remarked. “Then I think the team gave up and we were not in the game.”

The Argentine manager emphasized the need for consistency and resilience, acknowledging Chelsea’s tendency to fluctuate between impressive performances and disappointing displays.

“The most difficult thing to accept is the way we started, because the last 30 minutes of the first half we competed well and the game was even,” Pochettino observed. “Then in the second half, the way we started when it went 3-0. I think in this moment the team started to suffer a lot and struggled to manage the game.”

Pochettino highlighted the stark contrast between Chelsea’s recent performances, underscoring the team’s inconsistency as an area requiring immediate attention.

“You can lose games against a team like Arsenal that is fighting for the Premier League, but it is the way we compete, three days ago and then today,” Pochettino noted.

“Today you can use any words to describe our performance, it wasn’t good.”