Mauricio Pochettino's 18-word Chelsea admission sums everything up after shocking Arsenal defeat

"When we have bad days, we are so bad. When we are good, we are capable of everything."

I could not have put it any better myself. Mauricio Pochettino summed up a lot of what is going on at Chelsea at the moment in just 18 words. The problem is, while the consistency issue is clear and obvious for everyone to see – there is no clear solution.

The Blues were humbled on Tuesday night at Arsenal. Who knows what happens in the Chelsea changing room at half-time but it is not working. Nine times – in all competitions – the Blues have conceded between the 45th and 55th minute this season.

That 10-minute period, for whatever reason, seems to be an absolute nightmare for Chelsea and Pochettino. After starting the game poorly, allowing Arsenal to go a goal up inside four minutes through Leandro Trossard, Pochettino told his players at half-time that they simply cannot allow that to happen again.

"We were talking at half-time, it is not possible to start the game like this, but we started in a bad way again – conceding two goals in this moment," the Chelsea head coach said. "I think the team gave up and we were not in the game."

It was clear they did give up. The body language on the pitch was poor and when that is the case, what is the point of the supporters staying to watch? They could not think of one and the majority of the away end at the Emirates Stadium was empty after Kai Havertz's quick-fire double against his former club.

READ MORE: Every word Mauricio Pochettino said on Chelsea character, heavy Arsenal defeat and Cole Palmer

READ MORE: Chelsea player ratings as Badiashile poor, Mudryk terrible, Pochettino awful in Arsenal humbling

Pochettino seemed to give up, too, judging by his substitutions. Chelsea made their first round of changes on 66 minutes where both Trevoh Chalobah and Raheem Sterling came on. The Blues went to a back-five – an almost 'damage limitations' approach from the visitors.

That approach could not stop the shame and embarrassment Chelsea supporters felt – and are still feeling – after being thrashed by their fierce rivals. Pochettino referred to "circumstances" being the factor behind the four changes he made for the trip to Arsenal. Even if that is the case, the back-line Chelsea had out there was not good enough to compete with the team that has scored more goals than anyone else in the division.

You have some sympathy with Alfie Gilchrist. The 20-year-old was chucked in at the deep end. His first Premier League start, in an unnatural position, albeit he has played there since breaking into the first-team, against Trossard and Declan Rice, with very little support from elsewhere.

Enzo Fernandez was on that side but he was unable to help Gilchrist as much as Pochettino would have wanted. In Fernandez's case; he does not look fit. At all. That seems to almost excuse him from his recent form, but there is something not right there.

Moises Caicedo was signed for games like this but with the way the midfield is being set up, it does not seem to suit his style at all. Particularly in matches like this. I'm not really sure where Conor Gallagher was playing half of the time.

The midfield seems disjointed from everything else. And then the midfield seems disjointed from each other. It is one of Chelsea's many flaws right now but the issue with the midfield being so erratic and all over the place is that it makes the other problems so much worse as well.

It was telling as well that they came up against a midfield three of Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard and Rice. The trio had not been used in the same midfield together since last August. The balance there was supreme. It is exactly what a top-class midfield should look like but they will face more difficult challenges than that because what Chelsea did in the middle of the field was appalling.

It mystifies you and frustrates you because we all know this Chelsea side can do it. Yes, they lost at the weekend to Manchester City, but the performance at Wembley compared to what we saw at the Emirates – it's night and day.

It does make you wonder, though, what it is that Chelsea worked on in the build-up to this game. Granted, they did not have too much time but Arsenal had even less. And there is not much time to prepare for Aston Villa away on Saturday night, either.

In a season with plenty of lows, that, what we saw at the Emirates, has to be right up there with the worst of the lot.