LONDON (Reuters) – Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed no concern over his team’s recent setback, a 2-0 defeat at home to London rivals Brentford on Saturday. He found solace in Chelsea’s performances against stronger opponents this season.
Pochettino appeared frustrated on the sidelines as his team repeatedly failed to penetrate Brentford’s defense, allowing Ethan Pinnock to score in the 58th minute. Bryan Mbeumo sealed the Bees’ victory with a goal in injury time.
“We performed really well against Liverpool and Arsenal,” Pochettino remarked, referring to two home draws in August and last weekend, matches that Chelsea, valued at £1 billion ($1.2 billion), arguably should have won.
“That’s why we’re not worried. We need to move forward,” the Argentine added.
Chelsea have only won one of their last 13 home league games, including matches from the previous season. Their position in the middle of the table reflects their struggle to convert possession into goals.
The loss to Brentford resembled a 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest last month, where Chelsea also faced difficulty breaking through a strong defense and conceded the only goal on the counterattack.
“If you don’t score, you need to blame yourself, and we blame ourselves because we lacked aggression and clinical finishing in front of the goal,” Pochettino lamented.
His belief that Chelsea performs better against top teams that don’t rely on tightly packed defenses will be put to the test in the upcoming weeks. The Blues will face league leaders Tottenham Hotspur on November 6, followed by matches against defending champions Manchester City and a resurgent Newcastle United.
Pochettino is expected to welcome back key midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk, both of whom were unavailable on Saturday due to minor injuries.
Brentford coach Thomas Frank, responsible for guiding his team to their third consecutive league win at Stamford Bridge, praised Chelsea’s progress.
“From the first half, if I was a Chelsea supporter or associated with the club, I would be optimistic,” the Danish coach said. “I understand that it ultimately comes down to results, but I’m convinced they will come.”
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(Reporting by William Schomberg)
