Coach Pochettino denied that Chelsea played badly

"Games like this will help us grow and understand more about the tournament," Pochettino said after the defeat at Stamford Bridge on the evening of September 2. "We are in the process of rebuilding and it's always up and down. We were unlucky and deserved more at the West Ham game and this time it was the Nottingham game. But like I said, it's a process and it's just it's a matter of time before Chelsea get better."

At home, Chelsea controlled the ball 77%, shot 21 times with an expected goal index (xG) up to 2.13 but could not score. Their best chance was in the 80th minute, when 40 million USD striker Nicolas Jackson bounced over the bar in front of an empty goal from Raheem Sterling's effort to dribble and release.

On the contrary, Nottingham only controlled 23%, hit the target three times but knew how to save the opportunity. In the 48th minute, Chelsea's valuable rookie Moises Caicedo lost the ball, creating conditions for the away team to counterattack. Taiwo Awoniyi poked through midfielder Thiago Silva, allowing Anthony Elanga to escape and put his heart in the right corner to score, helping Nottingham win its first win at Stamford Bridge since January 1995.

According to Pochettino, Chelsea started well, dominated, did not let Nottingham create many opportunities but lacked sharpness. "Chelsea doesn't score, and when you don't score, it's very difficult to win," the Argentina coach said. "We lacked sharpness on both sides of the field. We made mistakes and conceded goals, then created many chances and dominated, but things were not perfect. I am disappointed but not angry, because in these In this type of game you need a little bit of luck in some situations."

Pouring $ 527 million into the summer transfer floor 2023 - more than the total amount that Pochettino has spent in more than 5 years and 11 transfer windows at Tottenham before, but Chelsea got off to a bad start. They have just won one match in the Premier League, against rookie Luton Town 3-0 at home. Left, "The Blues" drew 1-1 with Liverpool, lost 1-3 at West Ham and then collapsed against Nottingham.

Currently, they drop to 11th with four points, below Nottingham. However, Pochettino is not worried and wants patience, saying that Chelsea needs time to build a team that can compete fairly with the big clubs. "During the build-up, in an attacking situation with high intensity, you can make hasty decisions and squander opportunities, when you should be more relaxed and calm," said Pochettino. . "It can happen and we need to stay calm, work hard to improve and I'm sure Chelsea will improve."

The 51-year-old coach understands the boos of the fans after the final whistle blew. He affirmed that Chelsea did not play excellently, but the performance was not bad, and understood the fans' expectations.

Here, the teams take a two-week break to make way for the national team. On September 17, the army under Pochettino will return with a visit to Bournemouth.