Mauricio Pochettino believes that Chelsea should not be playing in Europe due to their performance against Arsenal.

Mauricio Pochettino, the manager of Chelsea, cut a dejected figure during their Premier League clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The Blues suffered a crushing 5-0 defeat, their worst since February 2019. Pochettino did not hold back in his assessment of the team’s performance, stating that they do not deserve to qualify for European football if they continue to play in such a manner.

The match got off to a disastrous start for Chelsea, with Leandro Trossard scoring for Arsenal in just the fourth minute. From there, things went from bad to worse for the visitors. Pochettino admitted that his team failed to meet the expected levels of performance.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Pochettino said, “I think we started the game not so well. We conceded the goal and then it was difficult for us to recover. I think in the first half we competed after 10, 15 minutes. We were talking at half-time that we cannot start the second half how we started the first half, but we started again showing too low energy and we didn’t compete in the way we needed to compete.”

The manager highlighted the crucial moments in the game that led to their downfall, stating, “When we conceded the third goal, it was so easy for Arsenal to manage the game and for us, it was difficult to fight for an objective. I think that describes the first 15 minutes and the first 15 minutes of the second half, I think we lost the game there.”

The defeat leaves Chelsea in ninth place in the Premier League table, three points behind seventh-placed Manchester United, who have played the same number of games. If they fail to qualify for a European competition, it will be the first time since the mid-1990s that the club has not participated in continental football for two consecutive seasons.

Pochettino expressed his disappointment and uncertainty about the future, saying, “Now it’s difficult to see the future because after this game, we feel disappointed. It’s difficult to talk about objectives. If we don’t compete, it’s difficult to talk. If we compete like Saturday, then okay, against Manchester City. But competing today, I think do we deserve to go to Europe? In this way, no.”

Chelsea’s top scorer, Cole Palmer, was absent from the match due to illness. Without him, the team managed only one shot on target throughout the game, while Arsenal had 10. However, Pochettino refused to solely blame the defeat on Palmer’s absence, stating, “I think we cannot say now that was the reason we lost the game.”

The manager emphasized the lack of competitiveness from the start and the difficulty of being in the game against a team fighting for the Premier League title. He stressed the need for a different approach and decision-making, saying, “During this season, I think it’s enough to talk. All the information that we are receiving now is that we want to be in a different position next season. We need to take decisions.”

Pochettino concluded by highlighting the team’s lack of clinical finishing, similar to their previous match against Manchester City, and expressed his disappointment in seeing his team play with low energy from the beginning of the game when they were expected to be full of vigor.