Mauricio Pochettino has used Liverpool’s recent defeat to Arsenal in a bizarre comparison of how the recent form of both teams has been viewed in the media.
The Chelsea boss has come under increased pressure in recent weeks, with his side sitting 11th in the table despite a net spend of around £670 million across the last five years.
Liverpool, on the other hand, find themselves at the top of the pile having spent just £218 million in the same time period, losing only two league games so far this season.
Despite this, Pochettino feels the relative scrutiny his side have faced has been unfair, questioning why more wasn’t made of the Reds’ defeat to Arsenal at the weekend.
“We are not performing in the way that people expect,” admitted the Chelsea manager as he previewed his side’s trip to Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
“Liverpool lost to Arsenal and I didn’t hear anything”
Mauricio Pochettino expresses his frustration at the criticism he and his Chelsea team have received from the media recently ? pic.twitter.com/vh8sEBgzji
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“Always when expectation is different to the reality, it’s difficult to get what you deserve.
“That is why the patience never arrived. After losing against Liverpool, it was like: ‘Massive fail. Look at Chelsea, how bad’.
“And of course, they lose now, Liverpool against Arsenal and I didn’t hear anything about that there is a similar result when we played against Liverpool.”
It is an interesting stance to take, not least because of the disparity between the two sides in the Premier League standings.
The Reds suffered only their second loss of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign at the Emirates, while Chelsea have tasted defeat 10 times and currently reside in the bottom half.
Reports earlier this week indicated that the Argentine will remain at the helm for the upcoming League Cup final between the sides despite the struggles.
Concerns appear to be lingering about their inability to pull the trigger due to financial restrictions they have imposed upon themselves with their spending elsewhere.
The spotlight does look to be intensifying, though, with his latest outburst seemingly featuring a complete lack of self-awareness regarding his own current predicament.
Liverpool cruised to a 4-1 win over Pochettino’s men just one week ago, and the Reds certainly won’t have to concern themselves with Chelsea any time soon.
