Mauricio Pochettino describes Chelsea’s fifth-round FA Cup victory as a ‘big relief’ and requests more ‘time’ as he navigates his role as the team’s manager.
Mauricio Pochettino appealed for additional “time” as Chelsea secured a spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Leeds United.
Pochettino expressed a sense of “big relief” following Conor Gallagher’s last-minute winner, which paved the way for a quarter-final clash against Leicester City in his post match interview to ITV. The Chelsea manager has faced mounting pressure amid a series of subpar performances by the team.
It’s always a tense moment when a team comes from behind for a victory. Pochettino was relieved to see Chelsea secure a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals against Leicester City via TNT sports.
Mateo Joseph netted an eighth-minute opener for Leeds, but Chelsea secured a 2-1 lead at halftime with goals from Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk.
Mateo Joseph found the net again just before the hour mark, suggesting extra time, but Conor Gallagher’s last-minute goal spared Chelsea from that fate.
Pochettino, visibly relieved during his ITV interview, faces heightened scrutiny after Chelsea’s recent Carabao Cup final loss to Liverpool and their 11th-place standing in the Premier League.
Pochettino acknowledged the challenges, stating, “It is difficult because of the expectations. The team needs time to find the right balance during the season. In the past four weeks, we’ve been doing fantastic.
The squad is short, with 10-12 injured players. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are playing continuously without rest. The changes were necessary to give some players a break. Cole Palmer was sick, Chilwell had issues, and Gallagher also.”
