Pochettino, aged 52, has urged his team to remember proper conduct in challenging moments following a devastating 5-0 loss to London rivals Arsenal earlier in the week. Leandro Trossard, Ben White, and former Chelsea star Kai Havertz all found the net, with White and Havertz each scoring twice at the Emirates Stadium.
“We were talking a lot, today we had a meeting,” remarked the Chelsea manager.
“We tried to realise how we need to behave when the game is tough, when the demands are so high. We need to try and be more strong and to trust in the way that we play, in our philosophy, in the way we prepare the games.”
Acknowledging the need for discipline, Pochettino emphasized, “To have the discipline, it’s true, like after the game, we cannot blame the players that the circumstances that we are leaving. We need to be positive and we need to be strong and believe tomorrow we can have a good game, good attitude, good approach.”
“We are going to compete again with another team, fighting for the top. We need to think we are Chelsea and respect ourselves.” he added.
This rallying cry comes amidst a challenging period for the Blues. Pochettino’s side was eliminated from the FA Cup in the semi-finals by Manchester City and then endured a heavy defeat against Arsenal just three days later. Currently occupying ninth place in the Premier League, it has been a disappointing season for the club.
A stern test awaits as Chelsea prepares to face Aston Villa, contenders for Champions League qualification, in a Saturday evening clash in the West Midlands. Unai Emery’s squad secured a 1-0 victory in their previous encounter in September, courtesy of a goal from English international Ollie Watkins.
Chelsea performance and stats
Chelsea is currently 9th in the Premier League with 47 points.
In the last 32 games, it has won 13 times, drawn 8 times, and lost 11 times. In its last match, Chelsea lost 5-0 against Arsenal.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 61 goals and conceding 57.
Chelsea will play the next match in Premier League against Aston Villa on Saturday 27th of April in Birmingham. The prediction is Aston Villa winning the match.