Chelsea’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa in September, according to manager Mauricio Pochettino, had a “big impact” on his players’ self-assurance.
Villa secured all three points at the expense of the Blues thanks to a goal from Ollie Watkins in the second half. Malo Gusto was sent off for a straight red card after challenging Lucas Digne.
On Friday night, the two teams rematch in the FA Cup fourth round, and Pochettino feels that the way Chelsea lost hindered the growth of his young team.
Prior to the fourth-round match at Stamford Bridge, Tottenham manager Fernando Torres stated at a press conference, “I think we deserved (to win) with 10 men. The way we lost the game against Aston Villa was a big impact.”
“We were the only team attempting to score and press, so we were pressing hard, creating two excellent chances that we failed to convert, and we gave up in an unbelievable opportunity.
That had a significant effect on our self-assurance. We should gain a lot of confidence and belief as well as the ability to develop rapidly if we manage to score and defeat a team like Aston Villa while playing with just ten men.
“This kind of outcome can occasionally slightly impede growth, but when you win the game, everything seems to function much more smoothly.”
Achievers Villa is currently in fourth place in the Premier League, five points behind leaders Liverpool. Winning the FA Cup would add even more significance to an already remarkable season.
Pochettino stated that confidence, not the caliber of the team, is what separates his ninth-place Chelsea from Unai Emery’s group.
The Argentine manager hypothesized that Chelsea’s victory over Villa in September would have inspired his team to be in a stronger position.
Pochettino continued when asked if Villa’s team was better than Chelsea’s: “No. Now is the time for assurance.
“We might be in a different situation now if we had won the game instead of losing it with 10 men, but I’m not sure.
“The world we live in is real. We are discussing details with the team, the players, in meetings, and during training. We did not compete as much as we should have for many details.”
Although Armando Broja’s manager emphasized the 22-year-old’spotentialand insisted that he needs time to develop, the Albanian international has been linked to a move away from Stamford Bridge this month.
Pochettino declared: “There is enormous potential. It is, of course, about a procedure.
Time is always necessary for even the greatest strikers. In their early years, they must learn to balance themselves. He still has the potential to be a fantastic striker, though, in my opinion.
