Mauricio Pochettino, the Chelsea manager, was scathing in his assessment of his team’s performance following their 5-0 defeat to Arsenal, stating that they “did not fight” against their London rivals. The Blues struggled to contain Arsenal’s attacking prowess, with Leandro Trossard opening the scoring early on at the Emirates. While Chelsea occasionally threatened on the counter-attack, Arsenal dominated proceedings and created the best chances.
The Gunners had to wait until the second half to extend their lead, but when they did, they did so in devastating fashion. Ben White and Kai Havertz both scored braces, putting Mikel Arteta’s side in complete control. The victory sees Arsenal move three points clear of Chelsea in the Premier League table, with the Blues remaining in ninth place.
Pochettino was visibly unhappy with his team’s display, particularly their start to the second half. When asked what went wrong against Arsenal, he told TNT Sports, “I think we started the game not so well. We conceded the goal, and it was hard for us to get back on track after that.” He added, “After about 10 or 15 minutes, I think the team started to play.” Pochettino also revealed that he addressed his team at halftime, emphasizing the need for a improved start to the second half. However, his words fell on deaf ears as Chelsea’s performance remained lackluster, leading to a resounding defeat.