Coach Pochettino: 'It is better to lose than to play badly and win'

"It's worrying when the results don't match the performance," Pochettino said after the loss at the Olympic Stadium on August 20. "But if Chelsea play badly and win, I'm even more worried. Because then you will soon fail and need to find a way to improve the game."

In this match, Chelsea entered the game slowly and let the host West Ham concede a goal in the 7th minute from Nayef Aguerd's header to the near corner. From the second half of the first half, the visitors regained the game and equalized with a tight kick in the box by Carney Chukwuemeka. In the 43rd minute, they had the opportunity to go ahead when they were awarded a penalty, because Raheem Sterling was cut down by Tomas Soucek in the penalty area. But on the 11m mark, the $ 135.5 million midfielder Enzo Fernandez shot to the left corner and was blocked by goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.

Escaping defeat, West Ham played explosively in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Michail Antonio bravely passed Levi Colwill and then shot the ball out of the range of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. In the fifth minute of compensation, Lucas Paqueta scored a penalty to seal a 3-1 victory for the hosts, after the most expensive player in Premier League history Moises Caicedo cut down Emerson in the penalty area.

Before this match, Chelsea drew 1-1 with Liverpool at home on the opening day of the Premier League. Although he does not know the smell of victory, new coach Pochettino insists that his team is playing well. "I like to start this way, showing good form, good attitude because Chelsea dominated Liverpool and West Ham," he said. "It's the foundation for the future. With the quality of this team, it's only time until we find the best balance, score goals and win."

The Argentina coach also admitted that Chelsea did not enter each half well, let West Ham create many opportunities and considered Fernandez's missed penalty as a turning point. "I'm disappointed but this is just the beginning," Pochettino insisted. "We need to accept defeat, keep working and believe in the process. I think Chelsea will be stronger and really competitive."

Pochettino also defended Caicedo when he said that his students played well, despite the foul that led to the penalty at the end of the game. The Ecuadorian rookie midfielder came on for Ben Chilwell in the 61st minute, touched the ball 49 times, passed with 84% accuracy, no key pass, missed the post once, fouled twice and lost the ball eight time.

In the earliest match in the third round of the Premier League on the evening of August 25, Chelsea returned to Stamford Bridge to welcome rookie Luton Town.