Mauricio Pochettino wants his players to approach this evening’s Premier League fixture against Aston Villa with the mindset of ‘We are Chelsea and we can perform’.
The Blues suffered a disappointing defeat to Arsenal last time out but have the opportunity to get back to winning ways when they travel to the Midlands to take on a Villa side that is chasing Champions League football.
Chelsea still have the opportunity to finish in European place this season, with Pochettino’s side six points behind Manchester United but with a game in hand.
And the Blues’ head coach is looking for a strong reaction to the Arsenal setback on Tuesday evening.
‘We had a meeting [on Friday] and we tried to explain how we need to behave when the game is tough and when the demands are so high,’ said Pochettino.
‘We need to try to be stronger, to really trust in the way we play, to trust in our philosophy, the way we prepare the games and everything that follows, and also to have the discipline.
‘We need to think, ‘We are Chelsea’, respect ourselves, and do our best to win the game and be competitive.’
Villa Park proved a happy hunting ground back in February when we visited for an Emirates FA Cup fourth-round replay
That night Pochettino’s side produced a fine display, with Conor Gallagher, Nicolas Jackson and a stunning Enzo Fernandez free-kick helping us claim one of best results on the road this season.
Pochettino says tonight’s game will have a different feel to that cup tie, but he is looking for another high-quality performance.
‘It’s a different game, different competition. Of course, the end of the season is always the most difficult part. But yes, we need to believe we can compete better.
