Chelsea

I thought Chelsea had some great chances in the FA Cup semi-final but Manchester City were the more clinical.

But then I would be cautious with thinking how good Chelsea were. I would have to say City looked extremely fatigued like I had not seen them for a while.

And then for Chelsea to go get beaten like they did away against Arsenal just when you thought they had turned the corner by beating Everton convincingly... their inconsistency returned and their willingness and desire seemed to disappear.

Missing Cole Palmer was a big talking point but now Mauricio Pochettino is questioning the mentality of the players. It cannot all be on the manager when the club has got a squad like that.

He has got the experience. Maybe there is just a little bit of selfishness at times in a couple of the players not realising the importance of the team and feeling sorry for themselves. That means it is going to take more time than we expected.

The model is very strange. When you sign the amount of players they did on huge contracts, it is a very difficult situation.

There’s no question that there is big talent in the building but the talent then needs to turn into mature, seasoned players.

Which manager can change it if he cannot? I’ve spoken to several players who have worked under Pochettino and they commented on how thorough he was and how fair he was.

I do not think his knowledge and understanding has changed, but at times it has looked and felt like they are not fluid. They do things a bit differently - and it just has not been smooth.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino's position will be reviewed at the end of the season, but most of the Blues squad do not want him sacked, as they look for more stability at the club. (Standard), external

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Image source, Reuters

On the latest episode of the Footballer's Football Podcast, West Ham striker Michail Antonio defended Chelsea's performance against Arsenal and described it as an "off day" for Mauricio Pochettino's side.

The Gunners put five past the Blues at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, including two goals from ex-Chelsea forward Kai Havertz.

"These crazy results can happen every now and then," said Antonio. "I would not say it is the end of the world for Chelsea as they have been performing well over the past couple of weeks.

"It is one bad result against Arsenal, who are a very strong team, so you cannot think too negatively about it in my eyes.

"When it is an off day, anything can happen."

It was Blues' heaviest defeat to Arsenal in the club's history and had the home side taken their chances, it could have been an even more humiliating score.

"Over the years it has been such a competitive fixture," added co-host and Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney. "So in our heads you expect it to be like that and it was not. The level between them is probably the hardest thing to take as a Chelsea fan right now.

"It is scary to see."

Listen to the Footballer's Football Podcast on BBC Sounds

Here is a selection of the key facts and figures before Aston Villa host Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.

• Aston Villa are looking to complete their first league double over Chelsea since 1989-90, when the Blues were a newly promoted side and the Villans eventually finished in second place.

• Chelsea won 3-1 against Aston Villa at Villa Park in the FA Cup this season – the last team to beat the Villans twice on the road in the same campaign were Tottenham in 2013-14.

• Having lost his first Premier League meeting with Chelsea in just his second game in charge in the competition in August 2018, Villa boss Unai Emery has won his past three against the Blues without conceding a goal.

• Chelsea have won just one of their past eight Premier League games outside of London, with that victory coming at Luton Town in December.

• Ollie Watkins has scored in his past two league games against Chelsea, though both have come at Stamford Bridge. No Aston Villa player has scored in three in a row against the Blues in the competition.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Wednesday night's four Premier League fixtures as well as the goals from Tuesday's game.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Mauricio Pochettino's future as manager is in the balance and could depend on whether he can achieve European qualification for next season. (Times- subscription required), external

Chelsea may be open to offers from Saudi Arabia for 29-year-old England forward Raheem Sterling, while 25-year-old Spain defender Marc Cucurella could be sold. (Telegraph - subscription), external

Meanwhile, Tottenham are well-placed to sign 24-year-old England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Chelsea this summer, despite interest from Newcastle United. (Football Insider), external

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is close to joining Paris Saint-Germain, but the 25-year-old Nigeria forward has also drawn interest from Chelsea. (Il Mattino - in Italian), external

Meanwhile, Newcastle are set to sign 19-year-old Chelsea academy graduate and England Under-21 defender Lewis Hall on a permanent deal in the summer. (Football Insider), external

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We asked you for your views on Arsenal's 5-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Here are a selection of your responses:

Arsenal fans

Peter: Excellent performance. Arsenal may well be the best team in the Premier League, but still may not win it. Either way it is a step forward for Mikel Arteta and his talented young team.

Robert: Looking at this game must send out a message to Liverpool and Man City. An all-round performance by everyone shows Arsenal are in a better place mentally than last year. They have grown and taking this momentum into the derby against Spurs only benefits the Arsenal.

Neal: Flattering scoreline but we should have secured a second goal very early on while Chelsea were in disarray. Worrying period towards end of the first half where Chelsea almost nicked a goal on the counter-attack. Had they scored I feel the game would have been very different, however, once we scored again in the second half they crumbled.

Ian: Arsenal were superb. Chelsea were lucky to only lose by five goals as it could have been a lot more. If they don't win the title this year, its is Arsenal in 2025.

Chelsea fans

Andy: A shockingly embarrassing performance. What on earth was Pochettino thinking with that line up? Changing three of the defence away to Arsenal - no surprise they were all over the place. Enzo and Caicedo so poor and average compared to the excellent Rice and Odegaard. This is the worst Chelsea squad I can remember. They are not fit to wear the shirt.

Diane: There was a young lad holding a sign that said 'I don't want your shirt. I want you to fight for yours'. That out of the mouths of babes just sums up the whole game. Well done young man.

John: Toothless, gutless performance. I'm struggling to find any sort of positive from this performance. We are mid-table at best with no sign of any of these players being capable of a consistent team performance.

Rob: Picking those two centre-backs after a good performances by Silva and Chalobah was criminal and playing a young player alongside them was setting him up to fail. Third choices (if everyone fit) across entire back four and we wonder why we fail. Enzo and Gallagher way off the pace. Mismanagement on a grand scale.

Image source, Reuters

Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea have produced "extremes" of performances during his first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Their past two Premier League games have been a perfect demonstration, with a 6-0 home win over Everton followed by a 5-0 loss at Arsenal.

In between, Chelsea were narrowly beaten by Manchester City in their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

"We are capable of having amazing performances and three days after [the City loss] in extremes," said Pochettino, whose side has spent much of the campaign in mid-table but are still just three points off sixth spot despite Tuesday's heavy defeat by the Gunners.

"Our standard is not sustained. The bad days, when we have bad days, we are so bad. Then when we are good, we are capable of everything."

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino made one of the worst possible admissions about any team - let alone one of his own - after they were humiliated at Arsenal.

Pochettino conceded that Chelsea "gave up" as the Gunners ran in four goals in the second half in a 5-0 thrashing at Emirates Stadium.

Chelsea were without talisman and leading scorer Cole Palmer because of illness and may also have been suffering a hangover from the draining FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester City but there were no excuses for the scale of their capitulation.

And a clearly bitterly disappointed Pochettino did not try to make any.

One young Chelsea fan created headlines by brandishing a banner reading: "I don't want your shirt. I want you to fight for ours."

He would have returned home with none of his demands fulfilled by a gutless Chelsea display.

Chelsea still harbour hopes of European football to salvage something from a poor season but there did not seem to be much hope or optimism from their fans, who understandably deserted the stadium in their droves rather than watch the shameful sight unfolding in front of them.

And Pochettino's team will have to perform many levels above this shambles to get anything from their next assignment, away to in-form Aston Villa on Saturday night.

Image source, PA Media

Fans of Arsenal and Chelsea have been reacting to the Gunners' 5-0 Premier League victory on Tuesday on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

Arsenal fan Pippa Monique: "We're still in there [the title race] and if Manchester City do drop points, that goal difference is going to be crucial.

"They gave us a performance to remember.

"It feels good to be top of the league but I can't get carried away, I remember how I felt last season when it all slipped away."

Chelsea supporter Teema Nicholls: "It was disgraceful, from the manager to the players. The lack of effort, the lack of tactical preparation - it was completely disgraceful.

"I just think he [Mauricio Pochettino] lacks accountability. He prepares these players to go out on the pitch to put in a performance like that. Where is he talking about what he has done to prepare the players? The players are soft, but that comes from the very top, that comes from the manager downwards.

"He needs to have a lot more accountability for his input into what's happened, not only on Tuesday but across the season."

Hear more on BBC Sounds

Image source, Reuters

ESPN journalist Mark Ogden says he wonders if Mauricio Pochettino will "think if its worth carrying on" as Chelsea manager at the end of an "inconsistent" first season at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea lost 5-0 at Arsenal on Tuesday, missing the chance to move level on points with sixth-placed Newcastle.

Although the Blues' results have improved in recent weeks - they were unbeaten in eight Premier League games before their loss at Emirates Stadium - they were well beaten by a Gunners team now three points clear at the top of the table.

Ogden told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast: "They have been very inconsistent this season and I wonder whether Pochettino, when he gets to the end of the season, thinks if it's worth carrying on.

"He's only got a two-year contract so he's got another season to go, but it does seem like he's managing with his hands tied behind his back. We know he's not got full control of the transfer ins and outs. If he's got to go into next season with players that are given to him by people above him, what chance has he got? He's only damaging his own reputation.

"We've seen signs that he's getting there, he's got a much more settled team, but there are obviously real flaws in that team. Pochettino needs to get his way on certain things and I don't think he will, I don't think Chelsea are wired up like that.

"I'd be interested to see if Pochettino gets to the end of the season and thinks 'it's not worth it'."

Listen to more reaction on BBC Sounds

Chelsea are enquiring about RB Leipzig and France centre-back Castello Lukeba, 21, who has a £60m release clause in his contract with the Bundesliga club. (FootMercato - in French), external

Chelsea defender Thiago Silva, 39, has reached a verbal agreement with Fluminense, with the Brazilian out of contract at the end of the season. (Goal), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino speaking to TNT Sports: "I think we started the game not so well. We concede the goal and then it was difficult for us to recover from this goal.

"I think in the first half we compete after 10, 15 minutes. We could not approach the game like we started in the first half and we didn't compete the way we needed to compete and then when they scored the third it was easy for Arsenal to control the game.

"I think you need to be clinical. Like against Manchester City three days ago, we were not clinical and then today the same thing happened. Difficult performance because it is not nice to see your team play like this when you are meant to have full energy. After three days when you play a fantastic game against Manchester City, today we are disappointed with the performance."

On whether Cole Palmer was the reason they lost at Arsenal: "We cannot say that was the reason we lose the game but we lose a player who is a creative player who helps to link the team. We are losing players and that has made very difficult, the management. But I think today, more than that, it was difficult to be in the game.

"Where Arsenal are is where we need to be as well. We are talking too much this season and all the information we receive now is that we want to be in a different position next season."

On Chelsea's European prospects: "Now it is difficult to see the future because after this game we feel disappointed. It is difficult to talk about objectives.

"If we compete like Saturday, OK. But if we compete like today, do I think we deserve to go into Europe? I think in this way, no."

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea captain Conor Gallagher on a young Chelsea supporter holding up a sign questioning the players' efforts at Arsenal: "We definitely are putting the effort in.

"I know how much it means to all the boys. It is a very young squad with not much experience as a team in the Premier League.

"We have had a lot of ups and downs and we are still improving as a team to get to the next level and today was one of those days we were nowhere near it. But also we will look at the performance and where we can improve and move forward."

Here are the key facts and figures from Arsenal's home win over Chelsea in the Premier League on Tuesday.

• Arsenal recorded their biggest ever victory against Chelsea across all competitions (5-0), while this was the Blues' heaviest defeat in a London derby since losing 6-0 to Queens Park Rangers in March 1986.

• The Gunners have won three London derbies in league this season by five or more goals (5-0 v Crystal Palace, 6-0 v West Ham and 5-0 v Chelsea), the most such victories in a single campaign by a team in English league history.

• Chelsea have conceded 57 goals in the Premier League this season - their most in a single campaign in the competition (overtaking their 55 from the 1994-95 and 1996-97 seasons).

• Arsenal had 13 shots in the first half and 14 in the second half against Chelsea (27 in total) – indeed, these are now their two highest shot totals in a half of football against them on record in the Premier League (since 2003-04).

• Kai Havertz became the first player to score a brace against Chelsea in the Premier League having previously played for them in the competition.

• The Blues' starting XI in this game had an average age of 23 years and 169 days - their youngest ever for a Premier League match against Arsenal. In fact, only Leeds United in 1999-2000 (10) have named more starting XI's with an average age under 24 in a Premier League campaign than Chelsea this term (seven).

Arsenal moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League and made a potentially significant improvement to their goal difference with a crushing victory over Chelsea at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners backed up their win at Wolverhampton Wanderers with an emphatic performance helped by a dreadful display from a Chelsea side who looked like they wanted the season to end now after their FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester City.

Arsenal suffered last week with a home Premier League defeat by Aston Villa and a Champions League quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich but the manner of this win demonstrated the title momentum is now back with Mikel Arteta's team.

Leandro Trossard settled any early nerves when he beat Chelsea keeper Djordje Petrovic at his near post and while the visitors occasionally threatened in the first half, Nicolas Jackson missing a clear headed chance, Arsenal simply ran riot after the break.

The second goal Arsenal craved came as Ben White turned in after Chelsea failed to clear a corner before former Stamford Bridge forward Kai Havertz struck twice in eight minutes, the second a quite sumptuous finish from Martin Odegaard's magnificent pass.

As Chelsea subsided in embarrassing fashion, White looped his second over Petrovic. It pushed their goal difference up to +56 - 13 better than Liverpool's and 12 ahead of Manchester City - on what was pretty much the perfect night for Arsenal.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from elsewhere?

Arsenal fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Chelsea fans?

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