Mauricio Pochettino provides two reasons why Chelsea lost 3-1 to West Ham
Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino has provided two reasons as to why his side lost 3-1 at West Ham on Sunday. The Blues fell behind at the London Stadium and after Carney Chukwuemeka made it 1-1, Enzo Fernandez should have put Chelsea ahead but his first-half penalty was saved.
Chukwuemeka was forced off with injury at the break and replaced with Mykhailo Mudryk, a decision that former Blues defender Ashley Cole felt was costly.
Pochettino believes the mentality shift after Fernandez’s missed penalty, combined with Chukwuemeka’s injury, were key to Chelsea’s downfall in east London.
Mentality Shift
‘It was the frustration when we miss the penalty,’ Pochettino, who is still seeking his first win as Chelsea head coach, said after the match. ‘We were playing well and we didn’t get the reward. We start the second half a little bit with this belief until we started again to play.
‘Also the injury to Carney Chukwuemeka changed a little bit the shape of the team. Then we start again to dominate the game but again we concede. We need to be more strong in this type of situation because we knew West Ham sit deep and counter-attack and set-pieces are really dangerous.’
Believe in the Process
Disappointed but this is only the beginning. We need to believe in the process. I think we are going to be stronger and for sure be really competitive.’
Speaking more generally, Pochettino added: ‘That’s football. Teams like us, we need to get the right balance. I think today there were a few actions we didn’t manage well and we concede. We create many chances and we did well in the first half. We should have won the game with our first half.
In the second half with another isolated action we concede again. To find the space to create clear chances [is difficult] but overall it is this type of game that is difficult to explain. You had the possession, you create and maybe you were the better side but in the end you lose.
Looking Ahead
Pochettino will look for his first win as Chelsea head coach on Friday when they travel to Luton Town in the Carabao Cup. The Blues will be hoping for a much better performance than Sunday’s defeat to West Ham, and will look to use this match as a chance to build some momentum.
The match will also provide an opportunity for some of Chelsea’s younger players to make an impression, with several of them likely to feature in the starting lineup. It will be interesting to see how they perform against a team from a lower division, and if they can help Pochettino get his first win as Chelsea head coach.
With a new manager at the helm, there is plenty of excitement surrounding Chelsea and their upcoming season. While Sunday’s result may have been a disappointment, Pochettino will be hoping that his side can bounce back quickly and start to show their potential.