Chelsea beat Fulham to secure the Premier League Summer Series trophy (Picture: Getty)
Mauricio Pochettino lauded two Chelsea players after his side lifted the Premier League Summer Series trophy on Sunday.
The Blues won the pre-season tournament with a 2-0 victory over Fulham in the United States thanks to goals from Thiago Silva and Christopher Nkunku.
Head coach Pochettino praised Argentine compatriot Enzo Fernandez in his post-match press conference as well as lan Maatsen.
‘Always it is a pleasure [to have Fernandez],’ Pochettino said after his side’s triumph in Maryland.
‘He is very humble, he is a fighter also and is a fantastic player, world champion with Argentina and I am so proud.
‘I am Argentine also and I shared happiness when they won the World Cup. It is a pleasure when you have a player like him in the squad.’
Speaking about Maatsen and if he sees his future as a left-back or higher up the pitch, Pochettino added: ‘He has the capacity to compete for different places on the pitch.
‘He is a player you can use in different positions. I am so happy because his performance didn’t change.
‘That is what makes us really pleased because he is a player we see with enormous potential for the team.’
Pochettino was unable to land a trophy in his five years managing Tottenham from 2014 to 2019 and and was asked how it felt to lift one with Chelsea.
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‘Always it is good to win, I am so pleased again with the performance and the work of the players from the start,’ Pochettino said. ‘It is a busy time but I think we are doing a good job, the players and the staff.
‘It has been a busy four games in a very short period of time and now we play in Chicago against Dortmund and we need to continue.
‘We keep going and prepare the team to arrive in the best condition for the Premier League.’
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‘I am so proud!’
