It has been a bruising week for Chelsea, after Gary Neville’s live verdict on Sky Sports went viral in the aftermath of defeat to a young Liverpool side in the Carabao Cup at Wembley. The late winner in the FA Cup fifth round against Leeds United was some respite but it never stops for Pochettino. He is the face of whatever this rebuild at Chelsea is expected to be and he would concede that his players are running out of steam.
Combined with their lack of confidence, the break they have this week, until Monday’s game against Newcastle will be crucial. Pochettino switched to a three-man defence that he abandoned earlier in the season just, he said, to protect his tired midfielder players. He said that Enzo Fernández and Conor Gallagher were both tired but could only afford to substitute the former. It did not say much about his options in reserve.
“We don’t have the possibility to refresh the players in a key area,” he said “That is why I helped them with another centre-back.”
Brentford had been transformed after half-time during which Thomas Frank said that Ivan Toney, Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard had all addressed their team-mates. The team has undoubtedly been struggling of late and last Monday’s away defeat by West Ham sounded some alarms. But they pressed higher in the second half and were more direct. Chelsea’s defence was there to be tested.
The second goal in particular, from Wissa, was one of the best of the season. The ball was in an awkward position and only his great athleticism and technique meant that he could execute a perfect overhead kick. Before then the full-back Mads Roerslev had been in the box when Disasi and others failed to get the ball clear. Brentford’s equaliser changed the mood entirely. There had been boos at half-time to the disgust of Frank, who said he would like to speak personally to those responsible.