Mauricio Pochettino describes Chelsea’s fifth-round FA Cup win as a significant relief and asks for additional time.

Mauricio Pochettino, the manager of Chelsea, has admitted that his future at the club is “not in my hands” and it is up to the club to decide whether to trust him or not. Pochettino expressed his relief after Chelsea’s victory against Leeds United in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Leeds United’s Mateo Joseph opened the scoring in the eighth minute, but goals from Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk gave Chelsea a 2-1 lead at half-time. Joseph scored again just before the hour mark, and the match seemed to be heading towards extra-time with the score level. However, Conor Gallagher scored in the last minute, securing a win for Chelsea.

Pochettino has been facing increased scrutiny after Chelsea’s loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final and their current 11th-place position in the Premier League table. Speaking in a post-match interview with ITV, Pochettino acknowledged the pressure he is under, saying, “It is difficult because of the expectations. The team needs time to find the right balance and perform.”

Pochettino also highlighted the team’s injury troubles, stating, “We have 10-12 always injured players. The changes were made because we need to give some players some rest.” He defended his team against criticism from Gary Neville, who called them “blue billion-pound bottle jobs” after their lackluster performance in extra-time against Liverpool. Pochettino argued that the team is young and still building confidence.

Looking ahead, Chelsea will face Brentford in their next Premier League match on Saturday, March 2.