Mauricio Pochettino conceded Chelsea are “missing something” after they failed to defeat 10-man Burnley in what he reflected had been a “must-win” game at Stamford Bridge, which ended disappointingly 2-2 having led twice.
Cole Palmer’s second strike of the afternoon, drilled into the bottom corner from Raheem Sterling’s deft flick, looked to have nicked it for the hosts, but Pochettino was left to rue yet another opportunity missed after Dara O’Shea salvaged the visitors an unlikely point three minutes later.
“That is why I’m so upset and disappointed,” the Argentine said. “It’s more here (in the heart) and here (in the head) than in your legs. It’s about being strong like a group, strong like a team.
“We are too slow evolving in this area. That was the key today. The team played well, we had energy. When we have the ball, we go forwards.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from the Premier League match between Chelsea and Burnley
“But when we didn’t have the ball, we don’t have the same energy. Today, sorry, I am not happy with the performance when we don’t have the ball.
“It’s difficult to accept not to win. It was a must-win game to be in a position to attack.”
Standing at five games, Chelsea’s unbeaten league streak is now the longest they have enjoyed in almost 18 months.
That fact will, however, be of scant consolation to Pochettino, having lost further ground in what looks an increasingly doomed bid to qualify for Europe via their league placing.
Mauricio Pochettino left frustrated by Chelsea’s second-half collapse against Burnley
“They need to realise that competing is different to playing football,” the manager added. “We can be there and play, but we need to increase our level.
“It’s not about blaming the players. Maybe we need to be tougher with them. We need to be more ruthless, find better communication, be more competitive.
“We are missing something. That’s why we are where we are. When we don’t have the ball we need to increase our capacity to recover it.”
Palmer: We kill ourselves every week
Cole Palmer’s two goals were not enough to secure Chelsea victory against 10-player Burnley
Forward Cole Palmer, who scored a pair of goals, was equally critical of his side’s inability to hold a lead, admitting it’s the “same story”, and hinting that complacency played a role in Chelsea’s downfall.
“The changing room is really down,” he told Sky Sports. “When they went down to 10 men, we were 1-0 up and just got too comfortable. Same story, we kill ourselves every week. It’s got to improve from us as players.
“We had many chances and then that time we defended sloppy. It’s very disappointing. On a personal level it’s good to score two, but if you don’t get the three points they count for nothing.
“I think it’s our consistency all around the pitch, being alive and not switching off like we did today. It’s poor, it can’t happen. Especially when they go down to 10 men.”