Mauricio Pochettino Fails to Register a Win in His First Two Games as Chelsea Boss
Mauricio Pochettino has failed to register a win in his first two games as Chelsea boss, with the Blues suffering a 3-1 defeat at West Ham on Sunday. The London Stadium saw Nayef Aguerd open the scoring for the Hammers, before Chelsea youngster Carney Chukwuemeka equalised with his first senior goal. However, the Blues’ level dropped in the second half and West Ham ran out as 3-1 winners with goals from Michail Antonio and Lucas Paqueta.
Former Blues defender Ashley Cole criticised Pochettino’s decision to replace Chukwuemeka with Mykhailo Mudryk at half-time, suggesting it caused an issue and that the team lost a bit of impetus. Enzo Fernandez could have put Chelsea in front before half-time but his penalty was saved by Alphonse Areola.
Cole said: “Maybe the substitution [Chukwuemeka off, Mudryk on] caused an issue. They lost a bit of impetus in the game. They’re weren’t getting the runs in behind between right-back and centre-back. It was all then too easy for West Ham. Pochettino will have understood the context behind the change but I felt they lost a bit of ability to drive beyond and cause West Ham a problem. They lost a little bit of power and impetus to sustain attacks.”
The defeat leaves Chelsea in 15th place in the Premier League table, with Pochettino yet to register a win since taking over from Frank Lampard in June. The Blues face Tottenham Hotspur in their next game on Saturday, and Pochettino will be hoping to get his first win as Chelsea boss.
The game against Spurs is sure to be an interesting one, with Pochettino facing his former club for the first time since leaving in November 2019. The Argentine manager enjoyed five successful years at Tottenham, leading them to the Champions League final in 2019, and will be hoping to get one over on his former employers.
Chelsea have been inconsistent this season, and Pochettino will be looking to get his team playing with more consistency and intensity if they are to challenge for a top four finish this season. The Blues have some talented players in their squad, including Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic, and Pochettino will be hoping they can help him get his first win as Chelsea boss.
It remains to be seen whether Pochettino can turn things around at Chelsea, but Sunday’s defeat at West Ham was certainly not the start he was hoping for. The Blues have some tough fixtures coming up, including games against Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal, and Pochettino will need to get his team firing if they are to get some positive results.