Premier League
Man City Vs Chelsea: Pochettino Boasts Ahead Of Tough EPL Clash
The manager of Chelsea football club, Mauricio Pochettino, has boasted about his squad’s attacking approach ahead of the Premier League clash against Manchester City.
SportXparte reports that the Blues will visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday for a most anticipated match against Manchester City.
In a memorable match back in November, Chelsea and City played out a thrilling 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge, with Cole Palmer, a former City player, scoring a penalty in stoppage time to secure a point for the hosts.
Since then, Chelsea’s fortunes have been mixed, having lost half of their 12 league fixtures. However, a victory against Pep Guardiola’s side could see Chelsea climb to their highest position of the season, potentially reaching seventh place, depending on other results.
With 14 games remaining, Chelsea have already scored three more league goals than they did in the entirety of the previous campaign, where only four teams scored fewer goals.
Manager Pochettino has emphasized that his team will not adopt a defensive approach and wait for City to make the first move. City have lost just once at home in the English top flight in nearly two years, making them a formidable opponent.
“If we go there and wait to see what’s going on, it’s a team that can dominate you and will make you suffer,” the Argentine said on Friday.
“The most important thing we realised is that we need to attack, be able to run and to make the effort all together.
“The most important thing is to go there and be brave, to challenge them,” Pochettino added.
Palmer’s return to the Etihad on Saturday will mark his first appearance at the stadium since his £40 million ($50 million) move to west London in September. Prior to his transfer, the 21-year-old had already showcased his scoring abilities for City in this season’s Community Shield, although the team lost on penalties to Arsenal, as well as in the UEFA Super Cup victory over Sevilla.
Since joining his new club, Palmer has emerged as the leading goal scorer with 12 goals across all competitions. Many consider him to be the standout success of co-owner Todd Boehly’s £1 billion transfer investment.
Palmer’s decision to join Chelsea was partly influenced by his concerns about receiving sufficient playing time at City.
“He’s not the type of player that needs to prove anything,” said Pochettino.
“I think he really is very grateful for his period at Manchester City, (but) he left the club because he wanted to find another challenge and to have the possibility to play more.
“Man City have an amazing squad. (Clubs) make decisions that we think are the best for the team. It doesn’t mean someone is not a good player.
“Sometimes the circumstance doesn’t match. Players want to leave and you can’t stop them because you can’t provide the game time,” Pochettino noted.
Meanwhile, Guardiola, on the other hand, during his own pre-match press conference on Friday, said it was no surprise that Palmer had done so well.
“The stats and the way he is playing, he is already an exceptional player,” he said.
“He got the minutes he wanted and it was just a question of time — he has shown his quality.”
