Chelsea press conference - Mauricio Pochettino on Gusto red card, Jackson and Aston Villa
Ollie Watkins' strike ensured that Aston Villa came away victorious at Stamford Bridge after Malo Gusto received a red card in the second period
https://www.football.london/Chelsea-fc/news/Chelsea-press-conference-live-mauricio-27778936
Welcome to football.london's live coverage of Mauricio Pochettino's press conference. Chelsea fell to defeat against Aston Villa after Ollie Watkins' goal separated the sides.
It was another frustrating afternoon for the Blues who also have additional headaches after Nicolas Jackson and Malo Gusto picked up suspensions. The former Villarreal forward picked his fifth yellow card of the season, while Gusto was awarded a red card for a challenge on Lucas Digne.
It was a third game in a row that the Blues could not trouble the scoreline as the Villain's high line ensured that Chelsea's forwards were consistently offside.
Armando Broja was able to make his return to the team having picked up his ACL injury against Aston Villa in December. He was unable to make the difference we he came on in the second period.
Follow all of the updates from the press conference below with Scott Trotter.
What is your assessment?
The first half we deserve a little bit more, I think we had control of the game. Second half we started on top of them but after the red card, the game changed. We need to judge 60 minutes of 11v11 and then with 10 men, it's two different games.
What did you think of the red card?
Being honest, it was in front of me but I didn't see and now I still didn't see. I can't say it wasn't a red card, we need to trust in the referees and VAR. Difficult to judge because I didn't see it.
Malo Gusto did not need to make the challenge?
Of course, it's our responsibility and the referee's responsibility, we cannot blame VAR or the referee. In this situation we need to act in a different way. I'm not going to blame or say anything against Malo Gusto because something some situations happen in football. That situation can effect the game in a negative way.
READ MORE: Chelsea player ratings vs Aston Villa as Disasi impresses, Silva and Gusto errors costly
READ MORE: Reece James issues Chelsea injury update ahead of Aston Villa clash after 'tough' weeks
Nicolas Jackson getting a fifth booking, do they need to grow up?
We were talking, we need to grow up like a team, not only in an individual way. I think players like Nico who are so young and feeling the Premier League and is learning, they need time. In this type of game, we are competing and want to win and football is about winning but also players, when they are young, need to learn, and experience and make mistakes. That's why we feel disappointed as there are too many situations like this and I agree with you too many things like this and in the end we are losing the game and we are in situation we need to change as soon as possible.
Particularly frustrated because it's a cheap yellow, and are Armando Broja/Reece James ready to come in?
I think was now was good to see Broja after nine or 10 months. I think to have the possibility to have different options in the team. He needs to build his confidence also. It's about to learn, about the process. We are a young team that is in process needing to learn altogether. It is difficult to talk about positives because when you lose it is difficult. We need to talk about positive things, we need to keep the positives in. There's no doubt with time the team is going to perform. Of course I cannot hide the situation, it's a situation that disappoints all of the fans, the club, us and the players.
Last season was Chelsea's worst this century, and this season is worse at the moment. Have the owners said anything about why they think it's been bad?
Give me time because I didn't see them after the game. They are disappointed, they arrived at the club and are so excited to build a project. Of course they feel disappointed but at the same time they need to support the plan.
What is the solution in front of goal?
Work. Giving trust and then confidence. We have the squad that we have. We cannot change anything. We try to build the confidence and to give them all of the support that they need because they need to perform on the pitch. The performance is good, I don't want to say it is excellent, but we are missing being clinical in front of goal. We need to keep going, working. To find a solution, we start tomorrow again for the game Wednesday and build the belief and the confidence and the trust and hope we can score Wednesday.
Conceded a goal from your own corner and left open?
I think it was a little bit unlucky. How many chances did we have like Aston Villa? We block the shot and they shoot and it touches the post and goes in. For us, how many one versus one with Emiliano Martinez. It was a little bit unlucky also that happened. We need to accept the reality. It was a little bit unlucky because how many chances did they create? Take of the set-pieces, not many. With 10 men we were forcing them to go back and we create too many chances. That is unlucky, that is the situation. We need to be aware about what is going on but in some ways we need to be calm because the team is creating, the team is alive, the team is fighting in every single action. We cannot say anything about the players, we cannot say they give up after 70 minutes, they were fighting until the end with one player less. It's about keeping working and hope that we can change the run as soon as possible.
