Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino talks about the game in the post-match conference, and although he celebrates the victory against United, he seems they could have done better
The Premier League clash between Chelsea and Manchester United was easily one of the craziest games in the football world. Chelsea led 2-0 in the first half and could have had the game wrapped up before 45 minutes.
However, United recovered and led 3-2 over Chelsea for much of the game. There were eight minutes more, but it went over, and United led 3-2 after 99 minutes. But then the Blues’ star Cole Palmer got a penalty, equalized, then scored a winner seconds later to win 4-3. The 21-year-old scored his first hat-trick and that too at such a crucial stage when it was most needed.
The win, Chelsea’s first over United in 13 Premier League games, will have boosted Mauricio Pochettino‘s chances of staying in charge at Stamford Bridge. Regardless, he made a lot of mistakes tonight.
After the game, Mauricio said at the press conference:
“We started the game really well and the way we conceded affected the team in an emotional way. The reality is always to do more to win, but I think it was amazing and the performance was not great, but good.”
“I am relaxed because I think it was a tough game and the way it finished. So happy because I think we deserved to win. I think it was tough, but overall we were the better team.”
Mistakes by the Blues
Mauricio Pochettino realises that the game was not supposed to go like this. They had a good 2-0 lead in the start and it was supposed to stay like that till the end. But they let loose; when the Devils scored one goal, it had a psychological impact on the Blues as they failed to handle the pressure and let the opposition score more.
Chelsea’s incapacity to remain collected in the face of adversity is concerning, and Pochettino bears some responsibility for it. If Pochettino’s youthful Chelsea team is to flourish, they will need to learn how to handle pressure.
Moreover, players like Thiago Silva and Raheem Sterling‘s absences were felt on the field. Raheem Sterling has struggled in recent weeks, but he is a resilient player, and Pochettino could have used some of his confidence from the start.
The Blues looked wobbly at the back at times and could have used Silva’s composure and leadership, particularly after Manchester United scored their opening goal. Moises Caicedo and Benoit Badiashile made a terrible mistake, which provided Alejandro Garnacho with an incredible opportunity.
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Concluding everything, it was a somewhat decent performance by Chelsea, with their star Cole Palmer being the most valuable player of the night. If Manchester United were a bit more in the right form, it would have been an easy victory for them, but the fascinating thing is that both teams were below their usual level in that game.