Mauricio Pochettino: Chelsea boss 'disappointed' after draw with 10-man Burnley - 'We are missing something'
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ByOli Gent
Updated 31/03/2024 at 11:25 GMT
Mauricio Pochettino cut a frustrated figure once more as his Chelsea team could only muster a draw at home to a Burnley side that had been reduced to 10 men. Both of Cole Palmer's goals were cancelled out by unlikely equalisers - first from Josh Cullen, the second from Dara O'Shea - as the Clarets, mired in 19th in the table, dug in for an important point. They are four points from safety.
Chelsea's Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Burnley at Stamford Bridge in London on March 30, 2024.
Image credit: Getty Images
Mauricio Pochettino expressed his disappointment after watching his Chelsea side be held to a 2-2 draw by 10-man Burnley.
The Blues were pegged back twice at Stamford Bridge by the lowly Clarets, with Josh Cullen’s strike from the edge of the area cancelling out Cole Palmer’s panenka penalty, before Palmer’s left-footed drive with 12 minutes remaining put the hosts in front once more.
Dara O’Shea leapt highest just three minutes later to snatch an unlikely point for the visitors, who had Lorenz Assignon sent off for a second bookable offence, and their manager Vincent Kompany dismissed from the sidelines for his protests following the decision to award Chelsea’s first-half penalty on the stroke of half time.
Speaking to Sky Sports post-match, Pochettino vented his frustrations at his players, as the Blues dropped two points that would have seen them rise back into the top half of the Premier League table.
“I'm so upset and disappointed,” said the Argentine.
"It's more here [in the heart] and here [in the head] than in your legs. It's about being strong like a group, strong like a team.
"We are too slow evolving in this area. That was the key. The team played well, we had energy. When we have the ball, we go forwards.
"But when we didn't have the ball, we didn’t have the same energy. Today, sorry, I am not happy with the performance when we don't have the ball.”
Chelsea, despite their poor performances this term, are now five games unbeaten in the league since their 4-2 home defeat by Wolves at the beginning of February.
Pochettino’s side are set to face Manchester City in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and they lost in extra time in the final of the League Cup to Liverpool.
"It's difficult to accept not to win,” the former Tottenham Hotspur boss continued.
“It was a must-win game to be in a position to attack. They need to realise that competing is different to playing football. We can be there and play, but we need to increase our level.
"It's not about blaming the players. Maybe we need to be tougher with them. We need to be more ruthless, find better communication, and be more competitive.
"We are missing something. That's why we are where we are. When we don't have the ball we need to increase our capacity to recover it."
Chelsea’s two-goal hero, Palmer, spoke of the players’ disappointment at full-time.
"The changing room is really down,” he told Sky Sports.
"When they went down to 10 men, we were 1-0 up and just got too comfortable. Same story, we kill ourselves every week. It's got to improve from us as players.
"We had many chances and then that time we defended sloppily. It's very disappointing. On a personal level it's good to score two, but if you don't get the three points they count for nothing.
"I think it's our consistency all around the pitch, being alive and not switching off like we did today. It's poor, it can't happen. Especially when they go down to 10 men."
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