Chelsea FC News

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino says he ‘likes’ the club’s owners coming into the team’s dressing room after games at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino revealed co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, as well as co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, have been making regular post-match visits to the dressing room this season.

The Argentine confirmed the ownership visited the dressing room after Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa which left Chelsea with just one win from their opening six Premier League games as they sit 14th in the table despite spending £1bn since being taken over in May 2022.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup third-round home tie against Brighton, Pochettino said: “I like when the owners come [in].

“In all my career as a coach at Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain, I think it’s good that the owner comes to the dressing room.

“The way in which they approach the players is most important. If they are in a good and correct way then they’re very welcome.

“After my press conference on Sunday [against Villa] they came and shared with us like normally. They also did it with [the games against] Liverpool, Luton and Nottingham Forest.

“They came with Paul and Laurence, Behdad and sometimes also Todd, and they share some comment and we talk about the game always after my media duties.

“I don’t see it in a bad way. For me it’s good always if they share with us and then they say hello to the players. If they came for a speech or a different thing, then of course maybe that is different.

“But in the way that they come, they are very welcome. They own the club, so I think they can do whatever they want.

“I think they are in a very good way and we are so glad that they came and shared time with us – even when we won the game or we didn’t win and we’re suffering.”

Pochettino also expressed his happiness at the conduct of the owners in the dressing room.

Co-controlling owner Boehly was heavily criticised last season for entering the dressing room and reportedly calling the team “embarrassing” in an address to the players after the home defeat to Brighton.

But Pochettino believes “they know how to behave”.

Asked whether he gave a speech to the players following Sunday’s defeat, Pochettino said: “Not really, but I think we’ve been speaking a lot with the players on Monday and Tuesday.

“It’s my duty that if I need to do a speech then it’s my decision – only me or the players or the captain.

“It’s not a job of the owner to come to the dressing room and to give a speech after the game, even when you win or lose. But they know very well how they need to behave.”

Poch on Bruno exit: He didn’t belong to my coaching staff

Pochettino also addressed the exit of first-team coach Bruno Saltor.

Saltor came to Stamford Bridge as part of Graham Potter’s coaching staff, and he acted as Chelsea caretaker boss when the former Brighton manager was sacked after just 31 matches in charge.

But Saltor has now left the Blues, with the two sides reaching a mutual agreement to terminate the remaining two years of his contract.

Pochettino said of the Spaniard’s departure: “It was a decision between the club and Bruno.

“He didn’t belong to my coaching staff and then it’s the best decision for him and for the club.”

Pochettino has yet to decide whether to bring in his own replacement.

Merson Says: Chelsea’s cup tie is crucial – Pochettino is getting panicky

Sky Sports’ Paul Merson:

Chelsea need the Carabao Cup more than any other team. Wednesday night’s cup tie with Brighton means more to Chelsea than any of the other teams left in the tournament.

I said Tottenham missed a trick by playing a weakened team in round two and going out. But you look at them now and the way they have started, they need to get in the Champions League so I can understand why they rested players now.

But Chelsea can’t win a game for toffee. They haven’t had a hard start either, a lot of clubs would have bitten your hand off for those fixtures. Newcastle started the season against Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Brighton but have four more points than Chelsea.

The last thing Chelsea need to do now is go out to Brighton in the cup.

If you look at Chelsea’s fixtures, you worry for them. The next 10 games are so vital for their season that you can’t catch your breath. It’s a run where you actually don’t know when they’re going to win a football match.

So Wednesday is a huge football match. If they get beat here, they will have won three games in their last 24. One was against Luton and you don’t know when they will win a game. One was against AFC Wimbledon in the cup and they got over the line in that one. And the other one was against Bournemouth in the league last season but only after Bournemouth got enough points to stay up.

Even Mauricio Pochettino is coming out and is now saying: ‘It’s a process, you have to be patient’. When a manager comes out and says that, it shows they are starting to get a bit panicky. Even he doesn’t think it was meant to be like this.

If he is saying that already, it’s a worry. I hope he gets that patience and time, they have injuries too. But I’m worried.

Chelsea first-team coach, Bruno Saltor, has left the club amid a reshuffle of Mauricio Pochettino’s backroom staff.

Pochettino has yet to decide whether to bring in his own replacement.

After six games, Chelsea have had their worst start to a season since 1978.

Saltor came to Stamford Bridge as part of Graham Potter’s coaching staff, and he acted as Chelsea caretaker boss, when the former Brighton manager was sacked after just 31 matches in charge.

Potter and Saltor worked together at Brighton where the Spaniard was a youth development coach.

But Sky Sports News has confirmed Saltor has now left Chelsea too, with the two sides reaching a mutual agreement to terminate the remaining two years of his contract.

Poch: Players need to ‘grow up’

Mauricio Pochettino called on his players to collectively “grow up” after the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa condemned them to their worst top-flight start in 45 years at the weekend.

Pochettino will now be without his starting striker Nicolas Jackson, who picked up a fifth yellow card in just his sixth Premier League game to earn himself a one-match suspension, and Malo Gusto after the Frenchman’s red card.

But the wider squad have now failed to score in three straight games and the poor run has left the Blues 14th in the Premier League, with their meagre five-point haul after six games their worst return since 1978.

“We need to grow up as a team, not only in an individual way,” Pochettino said. “A player like Nicolas is so young and is feeling his way into the Premier League and learning.

“He needs time, and in this type of game we are competing and want to win. But the players, when they are young, need to learn with experience and when they make a mistake.

“That is why we feel disappointed because we are paying too many situations like this. Things like this is another small detail and, in the end, we are losing the game. We are in a situation we need to change as soon as possible.”

Neville: Chelsea chaos ‘a mystery’

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville:

“What’s happening? I’ve got great faith in Mauricio Pochettino, but he’s just got a huge pack of cards and he’s probably struggling to know which hand to play.

“It’s a mystery in terms of what’s happening at Chelsea. I’ve said before sometimes chaos flows right down through the club. I’ve said it about United and there’s no doubt there as well.

“There will be some changes, I don’t think they will change the manager at all, but I think there will be some changes there in terms of how they go about their business and who does the business in the next 12 months.

“I can’t see it lasting in terms of how it’s being run, it’s madness. They’re going to have to hang in there, because at the moment they’ve started really badly. The results are going to have to pick up quickly.”

Paul Merson says Arsenal may have to sign Ivan Toney in the January transfer window, with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah not able to take the Gunners “to the next level”.

Both Jesus and Nketiah received criticism for missing big early chances in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Tottenham in Sunday’s north London derby – leaving them four points behind fautless leaders Manchester City.

Toney – who scored 20 Premier League goals for Brentford last season – is currently serving an eight-month ban for breaching the FA’s betting rules and will be eligible to return to action in January.

Read below for the Magic Man’s thoughts on the north London derby, Spurs vs Liverpool this weekend and what’s next for Chelsea…

I’ve always said it from day one – Eddie Nketiah is not going to win you the Premier League.

You need a proper centre forward. I’m not blaming Nketiah because they drew 2-2 with Tottenham but with 32 games to go and all the Champions League games they have to play, I don’t think he takes them to the next level. I don’t even think Gabriel Jesus takes them to the next level.

I was so confident that Arsenal would win on Sunday but when I saw the teams, I was majorly worried. Jesus on the wing, Nketiah up front, Fabio Vieira – I don’t think he’s good enough. Then Declan Rice comes off and Jorginho comes on.

It wasn’t Arsenal’s strongest team but when you think about the Champions League and all the games they have to play, it looked a bit weak on Sunday, didn’t it?

It’s alright sitting there and thinking: ‘they need a centre forward’ – but who is there?

Only Ivan Toney is available for them in January – there aren’t many centre forwards around in the world. They’re a dying breed.

I heard Michael Owen chatting the other day: years ago you had him, Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham and Robbie Fowler getting 20 to 30 goals a season and they didn’t get a million England caps. Ian Wright and Les Ferdinand too. Now you get to 20 goals in the Premier League and you play for England.

Toney is a good player – he can hold the ball up, he’s good in the air. Arsenal might have to go for him. But there are not a million centre forwards around.

Now, if Arsenal lose against Manchester City on October 8, they will be out of the title race. They would be seven points behind.

A lot of people say: ‘oh but there are still so many games left’. But Arsenal wouldn’t catch Man City if there were 600 games left if City had a seven-point head start. You just can’t make that up, as from then Arsenal would only have one game against City and it would be away.

That game at the Emirates is a huge match, it’s make or break already.

Liverpool beating Spurs would be massive

If Liverpool come away from Tottenham with a win next week then it’s a massive result. I’m not saying they will lose the game, but to go to Tottenham now, you’re up against a very good team with good players.

The first 35 minutes against Arsenal, I thought Spurs were pretty disappointing. I thought it was no different to watching Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho’s Spurs. If Gabriel Jesus scores for 2-0 then it’s a completely different story. But he misses an absolute sitter.

What I liked about Tottenham after that is they kept on playing the way they like playing and I was so impressed with them.

I thought Arsenal would win easily. But for Spurs to come from 1-0 down and 2-1 down – normally they would lie down and get beat. Credit where credit is due. I thought they were outstanding and I now see them being around the top four.

Destiny Udogie was outstanding. For him to get booked so early on in the game then go up against Bukayo Saka – one of the best wingers in the world – is some going.

But credit goes to Ange Postecoglou, he said to him: ‘I have faith in you, you’re a full-back it’s your job to defend one-v-ones. Stay on the pitch’. Normally, against a player like Saka, a manager would take him off as you wouldn’t want a red card. But fair play to the manager and Udogie did his job really well.

Liverpool, meanwhile, still have got so much work to do. Manchester City are destroying the league at the moment, they’re putting so much pressure on everybody. It’s phenomenal what they’re doing.

Liverpool are doing well at the moment because you just have to stick in there. You have to take it a game at a time and you don’t want to be giving them a head start.

The biggest advantage that Liverpool have is they can draw to Tottenham and Brighton over the next two weeks because they still have to play Man City twice. And they can beat Man City twice.

Chelsea’s cup tie is crucial – Poch is getting panicky

Chelsea need the Carabao Cup more than any other team. Wednesday night’s cup tie with Brighton means more to Chelsea than any of the other teams left in the tournament.

I said Tottenham missed a trick by playing a weakened team in round two and going out. But you look at them now and the way they have started, they need to get in the Champions League. So I can understand why they rested players now.

But Chelsea can’t win a game for toffee. They haven’t had a hard start either, a lot of clubs would have bitten your hand off for those fixtures. Newcastle started the season against Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Brighton but have four more points than Chelsea.

The last thing Chelsea need to do now is go out to Brighton in the cup.

If you look at Chelsea’s fixtures, you worry for them. The next 10 games are so vital for their season that you can’t catch your breath. It’s a run where you actually don’t know when they’re going to win a football match.

So Wednesday is a huge football match. If they get beat here, they will have won three games in their last 24. One was against Luton, and you don’t know when they will win a game. One was against AFC Wimbledon in the cup, and they got over the line in that one. And the other one was against Bournemouth in the league last season, but only after Bournemouth got enough points to stay up.

Even Mauricio Pochettino is coming out and is now saying: ‘it’s a process, you have to be patient’. When a manager comes out and says that, it shows they are starting to get a bit panicky. Even he doesn’t think it was meant to be like this.

If he is saying that already, it’s a worry. I hope he gets that patience and time, they have injuries too. But I’m worried.

Super Son starring without Kane

Heung-Min Son is relishing his new role at Tottenham since the departure of Harry Kane.

Now playing as a central attacker, the Spurs captain delivered again on the biggest stage with two clinical finishes in Sunday’s pulsating 2-2 draw with fierce rivals Arsenal.

Son’s fine performance at the Emirates saw him score for the 150th time for Tottenham and he now has five goals in six Premier League games so far this term, but that does not tell the whole story.

As well as scoring from his two shots on target, the South Korea international ended the game with a passing accuracy of 93 per cent, played two key passes, and created one big chance against an impressive and organised Arsenal side.

Son loves playing against the Gunners. After failing to score or assist in his first nine Premier League north London derbies, the 31-year-old has since found the net six times and registered two assists in his previous eight games against them. He is also the first Spurs player to score a league double at Arsenal in over 30 years.

“He’s been outstanding as a leader and as a player,” Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said after the match. If Son’s fantastic form and positive influence continue, Spurs will have a successful season.
Dan Sansom

Liverpool’s midfield creativity impressive

Alexis Mac Allister was hooked at half-time by Jurgen Klopp at Wolves last weekend, the deep-lying playmaker leaving Liverpool exposed to the counter-attack. There was a worrying moment early on against West Ham when he was dispossessed and Tomas Soucek almost opened the scoring.

“Macca lost the first ball,” said Klopp. “And then he started to really play.”

Ultimately, it was Mac Allister’s invention with the ball at his feet that turned the game decisively Liverpool’s way, lifting the ball over West Ham’s retreating back line for Darwin Nunez to restore their lead. In just two moments, the give and take of Liverpool’s new midfield was clear.

Klopp has had trios in there that are more difficult to play against than this current version, a little more suited to the defensive aspects of the game, harrying the opposition when out of possession. This version can appear vulnerable when teams are able to play through them.

But there is a creativity there now that adds a vital dimension – particularly in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Mac Allister provided the key assist but alongside him Dominik Szoboszlai, all flicks and tricks, oozing flair, is just as capable of picking the pass that will win the game.

It is an adjustment for Liverpool and the balance of that midfield will not always be right. But for the supporters who left Anfield smiling on Sunday afternoon, it also makes for an entertaining side – one that has now scored in their last 16 Premier League games. Creativity is no longer an issue.
Adam Bate

Chelsea’s apathy from the stands is the worst condemnation

The saying goes that it is better to be hated than be ignored.

If that is the case, things are even worse for Chelsea than they might seem.

Already enduring their worst start to a top-flight season in 45 years and unable to score for toffee, it was the resignation of the home support to their latest capitulation which really stuck the knife in.

Chasing a late equaliser in 11 minutes of second-half injury time, where was the groundswell of noise from the stands? The desperation for something – anything – to paper over the cracks, at least, on an otherwise infuriating afternoon in West London.

The atmosphere was as flat as it had been all afternoon despite the tension in the scoreline. Plenty headed for the exits, unconvinced – rightly – of the Blues’ ability to find an equaliser.

Who can blame Chelsea fans for a lack of belief, watching the Premier League’s most wasteful side week after week?

Nicolas Jackson was as profligate as he has been all season in missing a fine chance before half-time, Raheem Sterling wasted two promising positions and full-backs Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi both failed to score when played in one-on-one.

A better side would have taken advantage of Villa’s high line and the numerous opportunities it presented. Mauricio Pochettino hinted at his frustration after the game. “We have the squad we have, we can’t change anything,” he told reporters.

With limited options and his first-choice No 9 now ruled out by a bewildering fifth yellow card in just his sixth game, there are few clear solutions for the new Blues boss before January.

Certainly, there is no guarantee things will get better by then. But Chelsea fans will do worse than ignore their club if they do not.
Ron Walker

Heckingbottom to be afforded chance for redemption

Sheffield United have no immediate plans to dismiss their manager, but Paul Heckingbottom looked on wide-eyed and white as a sheet as his side lost 8-0 at home to Newcastle. It was noticeable that, by the end, it was his assistant Stuart McCall who had come forward to bark at his crestfallen players.

A lady with a red and white scarf wrapped around her shoulders was spotted reading the book she had brought with her to Bramall Lane. It was just as well she had remembered to pack it. The clock showed 15 minutes of normal time remaining, and few could blame her.

Never before in the club’s history had Sheffield United conceded eight goals on their own patch. Not since 1956 when Rotherham scored seven had it been this bad, and then Alexander Isak made it worse.

Jamie Redknapp said: “I have so much sympathy for the manager. He has to stand at the sideline and give his all. That is a dark place for any manager. He will be so low right now.

“You should never lose a game 8-0. They’ve been in every game of this Premier League season. There was a lack of quality but also at times, which is quite damning, there was a lack of effort. You can’t do that.”

Jamie Carragher called the defending “horrific” on a “devastating night” for the club. Somehow, they must find the steel this city is renowned for to pick themselves up from the canvas.
Ben Grounds

Could Bramall Lane romp prove a springboard for Howe and co?

On paper at least, Newcastle United’s trip to Bramall Lane looked a testing-looking fixture, coming just four days after they made their long-awaited Champions League return in Milan.

These were the games where the strength of Eddie Howe’s squad would be tested and their ability to juggle their European commitments with a domestic programme in which they are expected to challenge on both fronts would also come under scrutiny.

Even more so after a stuttering start to their Premier League campaign that had seen the Magpies lose already to Man City, Liverpool and Brighton, and, given the way Sheffield United started Sunday’s clash, it looked like the visitors were in for a long afternoon in the Steel City.

However, as soon as Sean Longstaff had opened the scoring, the Newcastle of last season began to emerge, and by the full-time whistle, their old swagger and confidence were back for all to see.

So much so that looking back come the end of the season, this thumping win could very well prove to be a watershed moment for Howe and co as they look to continue their momentum from the previous campaign.
Richard Morgan

Aston Villa show no signs on European hangover

This is the new normal for Aston Villa, playing midweek Europa Conference League games before a quick turnaround on a Sunday for the Premier League.

Having not played in Europe since the 2008/09 season, it is not unreasonable to wonder how their ventures in continental competition would affect their other domestic ambitions. But if Sunday is anything to go by, it looks like they will have the balance of both.

It was a hard opening match against Legia Warsaw on Thursday, with the addition of late travel home from Poland followed by another away trip to London. Unai Emery rotated his five players back into the XI from Thursday, looking to utilise a squad that is starting to show strength as well as depth.

And they matched Chelsea with their performance, having more shots and the better of the play in the second half, which included the all-important goal from Ollie Watkins. They have a manager too who knows how to navigate these European ventures. His four Europa League winners medals are testament to that.

Emery told Sky Sports after the game: “Those three points are very important for us to try to keep the balance in the Premier League and keep the balance after playing in the Europa Conference League.

“But we are building the team, there is still work to do, but today was good to use different players. We need to add the players and build a stronger squad, then try to keep it going forward, working on the things we have to improve.”

Of course, further proof of Aston Villa’s mettle will be in the coming weeks, as the Carabao Cup comes back into rotation on Wednesday. But it has been a good reaction so far from this team as they continue to compete on multiple fronts.
Charlotte Marsh

A year of De Zerbi, Brighton are rocking

We truly are blessed to have Roberto De Zerbi unleashing his brave and buoyant football in English football. He celebrated his first anniversary at Brighton on Monday – it is a year the home fans will not forget in a hurry. In that time Brighton have scored 79 goals and conceded 56 in 38 Premier League games in charge – that is an average of 3.54 goals per game.

It is the highest goals-per-game ratio of any manager in Premier League history to manage 30 or more Premier League games. He would not have liked what he saw from his team in the first half against Bournemouth though. They failed to register a touch in the Cherries’ box until 44 minutes were on the clock and were second best.

But good managers make the big calls at the right time and his decision to send on Kaoru Mitoma at the break kicked Brighton into gear. They are now third after winning five of their first six Premier League matches. The future remains very bright.
Lewis Jones

Evans produces throwback performance on Man Utd return

Jonny Evans stepped up for Erik ten Hag in his time of need at Burnley. Aside from his superb assist and disallowed goal, Ten Hag said the defender was a coach on the pitch for him at the back.

Few would have expected the 35-year-old to be so decisive when he was announced in Man Utd’s starting line-up at Turf Moor. After all, the last time he started for Man Utd he played in a back four with Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo at Newcastle on March 4, 2015.

Just as it did at Turf Moor the result ended in a 1-0 win for Man Utd, however the outcome was far different for Evans. That game was remembered for his alleged spitting at Newcastle’s Papiss Cisse. Louis van Gaal would cut the United academy product loose after that.

Ten Hag offered Evans a second shot at Old Trafford after many felt he was let go too soon all those years ago. Critics derided his return but Evans’ presence on the pitch proved to bring calm for Man Utd on Saturday in a season that has been defined by chaos.

Evans had the most clearances on the pitch on Saturday night, and was United’s top performer in touches, passes and fouls won. It was a throwback performance that reminded us why he was Sir Alex Ferguson’s most trusted defender in his final season in charge at United.

Ten Hag had to protect Evans with two holding midfielders as he brought in Scott McTominay to play alongside Casemiro to set up in a 4-2-3-1, but the defender offers his manager an alternative while the team is struggling for confidence. He is repaying the faith Ten Hag showed in him by bringing him back.
Zinny Boswell

Everton show they have firepower to survive

There was a huge roar from the Everton supporters as Jordan Pickford sent the ball into the early autumn sky one final time and Michael Oliver blew his whistle. Relief and joy. They got what they deserved tonight. There is a line in a popular chant sang by Evertonians – The Spirit of the Blues – which includes the line ‘we don’t know the meaning of losing’.

Against Arsenal, after home defeats to Fulham and Wolves, it looked as though they’d forgotten how to win. But had they not come away from west London with three points based on their performance on Saturday, you may have wondered if they ever would this season. Such was Everton’s dominance, this must now act as a springboard for their season.

Brentford lost their previous Premier League game when going into half-time level against Newcastle. Not since January 2022 had the Bees lost successive such games, doing so against Manchester United and Wolves – but they failed to capitalise on Jensen giving them a foothold.

With the Merseyside club in the middle of a proposed takeover by American investment firm 777 Partners, Dyche continues to face questions over his leadership and the direction of the squad – but this result certainly puts a different complexion on the road ahead.

With Calvert-Lewin back fit and back among the goals as an alternative to Beto, Everton demonstrated they have the firepower to survive.
Ben Grounds

Johnstone justifying Hodgson’s faith

Any thoughts that the £20m signing of Dean Henderson from Manchester United late in the transfer window would bring an end to Sam Johnstone’s brief status as Crystal Palace’s No 1 have already been snuffed out thanks to the incumbent’s impressive form.

Johnstone claimed the starting job from Vicente Guaita when Roy Hodgson returned towards the end of last season and his display against Fulham was further evidence of why he retains the manager’s faith.

While none of Johnstone’s five saves quite took the breath away, they were all executed perfectly and demonstrated the confidence the 30-year-old is currently playing with.

A return to the England squad earlier this month shows it is not just Hodgson, but also Gareth Southgate, that appreciates Johnstone’s form – meaning Henderson’s wait must go on.
Joe Shread

Do ‘crazy’ Wolves have a discipline problem?

Perhaps it was because Gary O’Neil was incensed about yet another dubious handball decision which VAR declined to intervene on. Or because, for well over an hour at least, his side were outfought and outclassed by the league’s bottom side.

But the former midfielder appeared to hit out at Wolves’ players for a lack of discipline post-match. “We need to fix the craziness in the group,” he said, as if the issue was far more deep-rooted than Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s rash and ill-advised decision to kick out at Tom Lockyer.

In isolation, that can be disregarded as a loss of temper. In the heat of competition emotions run high and particularly in hostile atmospheres, like the one created at Kenilworth Road, lapses in judgement can happen.

But couple that with the fact Bellegarde’s red card was Wolves’ eighth in the Premier League since the start of last season, more than twice as many as any other side, and that poses a problem for O’Neil.

The 40-year-old is attempting to change Wolves’ playing style, while also cultivating better behaviours and culture – a complete break with the way the club has been run under previous managers, he admits.

“The players are very loose within their structure, that’s naturally how they’ve played, I’m not criticising, it’s just a different way. It’s a big shift,” O’Neil says.

But just how big of a shift does the manager need to instigate? And how quickly can Wolves get up to task without being dragged into a dogfight in the meantime? Only time will tell.
Laura Hunter

Will Luton ever have better chance to claim first win?

Rob Edwards remained upbeat post-match. He emphasised the progression, made a point of highlighting his pride, and praised his team’s mentality. All within reason. But ultimately, Luton only have a point to show for their industrious efforts.

Edwards knows, deep down, this was an opportunity missed against 10-player Wolves. The improvement was there for all to see – stats columns are positive – and they looked far more polished, and further along in their evolution, than their Midlands counterparts. But polish doesn’t translate as points.

Luton need something tangible to hold on to. One point is better than none, it must be said, but it’s far inferior to three, which is what Luton needed and deserved.

Maybe the Hatters are here for a good time, not a long time. Or perhaps things really are starting to click and that will draw the spoils, but with games against Everton and Burnley in coming weeks, a first win is an absolute must.
Laura Hunter

Man City show steel as well as skill

A game of two halves and yet, Pep Guardiola, in his own way, may feel that his Manchester City side won both of them. City were utterly dominant in the first half of their 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest and though the momentum shifted dramatically following Rodri’s red card, the manner of their performance thereafter will have pleased him.

It was almost embarrassingly easy for his side early on, passing relentlessly and then picking the moments to penetrate the back line, through Rodri’s vision, Julian Alvarez’s positioning and Jeremy Doku’s dribbling. The sending off presented the champions with a different kind of challenge.

The crowd became involved, much more so than when City had appeared to be cruising to victory. More than once, Guardiola gesticulated towards them, earning a rousing response each time. The defence, five of them following Nathan Ake’s introduction, revelled in their task of maintaining the clean sheet.

“You can lie to one person but not almost 60,000,” said Guardiola afterwards. “They see that they are not lazy, they do everything to defend the result. The spectators are involved in that. that is why they can give you more energy when not involved.”

The reaction upon the full-time whistle was one of pride as well as satisfaction, in a way that would not have been the case had Rodri not had his rash moment. That error by his midfielder will have disappointed Guardiola. Everything else, from the early class to the resilience shown late on, was a reminder of why they are so, so good.
Adam Bate

Mauricio Pochettino called on his Chelsea players to collectively “grow up” after the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa condemned them to their worst top-flight start in 45 years.

Pochettino will now be without his starting striker Nicolas Jackson, who picked up a fifth yellow card in just his sixth Premier League game to earn himself a one-match suspension, and Malo Gusto after the Frenchman’s red card against the Villans.

But the wider squad have now failed to score in three straight games and the poor run has left the Blues 14th in the Premier League, with their meagre five-point haul after six games their worst return since 1978.

Pochettino said: “We need to grow up as a team, not only in an individual way. A player like Nicolas is so young and is feeling his way into the Premier League and learning.

“He needs time, and in this type of game we are competing and want to win. But the players, when they are young, need to learn with experience and when they make a mistake.

“That is why we feel disappointed because we are paying too many situations like this. Things like this is another small detail and, in the end, we are losing the game. We are in a situation we need to change as soon as possible.

“It is the players’ responsibility. We cannot blame the VAR or the referee. In this situation, we need to act different in a different way. I’m not going to blame or say anything against Malo Gusto because, sometimes, some situations happen in football. This type of situation affected the game and the team in a negative way.

“It’s about learning, it is all a process. We are a young team that is in a process, they need to learn altogether. It’s difficult to talk about positives when you lose but I think we need to talk about positive things.

“No doubt in time, the team is going to perform, but we cannot hide the situation that disappoints all of the fans, the club as well as us and the players.”

Chelsea are the league’s worst underperformers relative to their expected goals tally, having drawn a blank in consecutive games against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and now Aston Villa.

Only Burnley and Luton have scored fewer league goals this season, while even dating back to last season the Blues have netted only 14 times in their last 16 games.

“Work,” said Pochettino on how to improve their fortunes in the final third. “Giving trust and then confidence. We have the squad we have, we cannot change anything.

“The owners feel disappointed, they are excited to build a project so they are disappointed, but they need to support the plan.

“We will try to build confidence and give them all the support they need because they need to perform on the pitch. The performance is good, I’m not going to say it’s excellent, but we are missing being clinical in front of goal.

“We need to keep going and working. I cannot find another solution, we will start again tomorrow to build the confidence and trust and hope we can score on Wednesday.”

Emery: Three points important for PL balance

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was pleased that his side showed more defensive solidity than they have done in previous Premier League game this season.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was also needed to make a string of key saves against a misfiring Chelsea, with Emery hailing the three points – courtesy of Ollie Watkins’ 73rd-minute goal – as important for their “balance” in the league as they compete on multiple fronts.

He told Sky Sports: “For us, it’s very important in the beginning to try to keep being consistent in the Premier League. We needed to be stronger than we were against Newcastle and Liverpool.

“Today was a tough match, but we competed very well. We tried to start at the beginning with control of the ball and defensively, being stronger and we did it.

“They had some chances, we needed the goalkeeper, but at the end, we had our chances to score. When we had one player more, we tried in those moments being offensive to try to make the difference and we did.

“Then we kept the result, kept possession and tried to score a second goal. It’s difficult to win here and through clean sheets, through a struggle sometimes and through the goalkeeper saving us.

“Those three points are very important for us to try to keep the balance in the Premier League and keep the balance after playing in the Europa Conference League.

“But we are building the team, there is still work to do, but today was good to use different players. We need to add the players and build a stronger squad, then try to keep it going forward, working on the things we have to improve.

“It’s always important for the striker (Watkins) to score. I am very happy because he is working with big behaviour, commitment to his team-mates is amazing. If he’s scoring, it’s better for us and him.”