The Blues were handed a heavy defeat away at Newcastle (Pictures: Getty / Sky Sports)
Mauricio Pochettino has slammed Chelsea’s performance in their 4-1 defeat to Newcastle, describing it as their ‘worst game of the season’, and will haul the players back in for training on Sunday.
The west Londoners fell behind at St James’ Park to an early strike from Alexander Isak but managed to level the scores not long after – somewhat against the run of play – as Raheem Sterling buried a brilliant free-kick.
But Chelsea were completely abject after the restart and conceded two goals in 60 seconds, with Jamaal Lascelles putting an injury-hit Newcastle back ahead on the hour-mark before Joelinton capitlised on a rare error from Thiago Silva.
Captain Reece James was sent off not long after before Anthony Gordon bagged a fourth goal for the hosts, with the result leaving Chelsea 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham – who do not play until Sunday.
Pochettino, who was serving a touchline ban and had to watch the match from the stands, was livid with what he saw from his team, saying it was ‘so easy’ for Newcastle, and has cancelled the squad’s day off as a result.
Speaking to Premier League Productions after the match, the Argentine coach said: ‘It was our worst game of the season. It was tough to be in the stands.
‘We cannot complain about the result, we did not read the game from the beginning. We did not play how we should play, we showed a lack of intensity and energy.
Pochettino had a watching brief at St James’ Park (Picture: Getty)
‘Even after we scored, at 1-1, it was a chance for us to force them to play deep, but it was so easy for Newcastle. That is why I am so upset with the performance.’
He continued: ‘Sometimes your team needs this type of situation to happen to realise [the standards that are required].
‘We were talking after in the dressing room, after the game, because in a normal way I think we should go directly to the hotel and sleep and start to train tomorrow early in the morning and no day off.
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‘But I think we cannot [just] blame the players, we need to blame altogether.
‘And I think it’s the process of learning and understanding that if we want to compete at the level people think that we need to compete, then we need to be stronger in the way we take responsibility.
‘And of course learn from this type of situation. We have a very talented squad but competing is a different thing than to play.’
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The west Londoners were handed a heavy defeat away at Newcastle.