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Mauricio Pochettino unimpressed with 'capacity' of Chelsea players after frustrating draw with Burnley

 (AFP via Getty Images)
(AFP via Getty Images)

Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea lacked “the capacity, the energy, the anger” in the 2-2 home draw against ten-man Burnley.

The Argentine was left furious after his Blues twice squandered the lead against Vincent Kompany’s relegation-threatened team, despite getting what should have been a match-defining decision in their favour.

Lorenz Assignon was controversially deemed to have fouled Mykhailo Mudryk in the box and was sent off just before half-time, allowing Cole Palmer to open the scoring from the spot.

But Burnley twice hit back as Josh Cullen equalised just after the interval and Dara O'Shea again equalised, after Palmer had put Chelsea in front for a second time.

In response to the disappointment, Pochettino said: “I’m very disappointed in the way that in the second-half we managed or deal with the situation. We are a team that, when we play in possession and play forward, we are able to create too many chances, maybe not to score all the chances we created.

“We need to improve our percentage in the games. After today, we didn't show the capacity, the energy, the anger. Not the minimum to compete in the Premier League. In the defensive phase we concede too much.

“That is why I am so upset and disappointed. It's more here [in your heart] and here [in your head] than in your legs to be strong like a group, to be strong like a team. That is sometimes the circumstance for different reasons we are so slow evolving in this area.

Chelsea twice surrendered the lead to the ten men of Burnley (REUTERS)
Chelsea twice surrendered the lead to the ten men of Burnley (REUTERS)

"That is the key today. It's not to find excuses. The team played well, yes, we have energy, yes, we go forward, yes, but afterwards when we don't have the ball we don't have the same energy.

"Sorry, but I am not with the performance when we don't have the ball. If we are able to create chances in the way we did and have the capacity to move and find all the different ways to penetrate a team that play with a very deep block.

"Yes, we need to accept that and recover the situation. On Thursday we have another game here and we need to be with all the energy to be competitive and clear our head now."

He explained that his complaints were not at any specific players, but at the team as a collective, with him and his coaching staff among those underperforming. Pochettino added: "I am defending my team. I am describing the situation.

“If you ask me am I killing someone? No. We are part of the problems. It's to blame everyone."

He continued: "Look at the way we concede the first goal. With one [player] less, they played easily and then we conceded. That is about to realise, we need to compete, it's different when you play football. But after we need to increase our work level.

"It's not to blame the players. It's to blame everyone because maybe we need to be a bit tougher when we have the players. We had only one day to prepare because of different circumstances with the national team.

"We need to be a team with better communication and to be more competitive. I am describing what happened a few minutes before."