After Chelsea’s disheartening 4-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, Mauricio Pochettino refrained from criticizing the referees despite two rejected penalty calls for his team. Trailing at halftime due to goals from Diogo Jota and Conor Bradley, the Blues faced an uphill battle.
Dominik Szoboszlai added a third goal for the hosts, momentarily dampening Chelsea’s spirits until Christopher Nkunku provided a glimmer of hope. However, Luis Diaz’s 79th-minute goal extinguished any aspirations of a comeback.
Despite contentious moments, with VAR denying Chelsea two penalty appeals, Pochettino opted not to lay blame after the match. He acknowledged Liverpool’s superiority, stating they were deserving winners and outperformed Chelsea throughout the game. Pochettino attributed the struggle to connect and enjoy the game, emphasizing Liverpool’s better competition and ball retention.
Reflecting on a missed opportunity at 2-0 in the second half, Pochettino acknowledged that even a potential goal wouldn’t have salvaged their dissatisfaction with the overall performance.
The match at Anfield served as a prelude to the impending Carabao Cup final at Wembley next month, and Pochettino issued a stern warning to his team, emphasizing the need for a significant improvement to contend for the trophy.
While acknowledging the upcoming neutral setting for the final, Pochettino expressed optimism about competing but cautioned against repeating their current approach.
He stressed the difficulty they would face if they failed to elevate their performance, underscoring the importance of learning from the encounter with the league’s best team.
In summary, Pochettino’s post-match reflections highlighted Liverpool’s dominance, refrained from dwelling on contentious refereeing decisions, and stressed the imperative for Chelsea to improve significantly before the Carabao Cup final. The manager’s optimism about competing in a neutral venue was tempered by a stark warning about the consequences of maintaining their current performance level against formidable opponents.
