Pochettino hits Chelsea low after Arsenal Humiliation
There’s no getting away from it – Chelsea’s 5-0 loss against Arsenal was humiliating.
Fresh from their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City on Saturday – a game the Blues should’ve won – Mauricio Pochettino’s side absolutely crumbled at the Emirates Stadium.
Leandro Trossard scored Arsenal’s opener in the fourth minute and Mikel Arteta’s team ran riot after that as Chelsea’s starting XI essentially gave up in the second-half.
Benjamin White and Kai Havertz netted two goals each, with the latter even celebrating against his former club.
Martin Odegaard pulled the strings in midfield as Chelsea struggled to make any impact against their London rivals, while Declan Rice was also brilliant in the middle of the park.
Pochettino made four changes to his starting XI from the FA Cup defeat to Man City, with three of those alterations coming in Chelsea’s back four – which was a huge error in hindsight.
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Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi both struggled against the Gunners and the former was heavily criticised for his performance online.
Of course, Pochettino wasn’t helped by the absences of Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto, who joined Chelsea’s extensive list of missing players, but a 5-0 defeat simply isn’t acceptable.
Those on the pitch for the Blues must be held accountable, as they simply didn’t look as though they were fighting for the badge at times, but Pochettino is the man in charge and is therefore naturally the one who will be most heavily criticised.
Chelsea looked woeful against Arsenal, as they have done in many games this season, and Pochettino faces an uncertain future as a result.
The early indications from the club’s owners suggest Pochettino will be given time, especially given the fact players such as Reece James, Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia have barely featured this season, but his time at the helm could be limited.
Chelsea are a mid-table club right now and that isn’t acceptable considering that over €1 billion has been spent on new signings since Todd Boehly arrived in 2022.