Mauricio Pochettino makes bizarre Chelsea claim after Liverpool defeat amid sack pressure

Mauricio Pochettino has left Chelsea supporters stunned, and largely struggling to come to his defence, after claiming that playing for penalties came into the team's thinking during extra time of the Carabao Cup final defeat to Liverpool. Virgil van Dijk condemned Pochettino's side to an ultimately embarrassing defeat in the 120th minute despite the Reds bringing on a host of teenagers throughout the game.

Unlike Chelsea,who did at least have some of their still raw but expensive young signings to turn to as replacements during a tight encounter on Sunday, Liverpool's recent spate of injuries left them turning to academy players instead. Having held out under increasing pressure from the Blues towards the end of normal time, Jurgen Klopp's kids penned Chelsea back for large periods of extra time.

Having faced the weakest Liverpool side in years for the one-off game, Pochettino's failure to see his team overcome such inexperienced opposition has only gone to put yet more pressure on his place in charge of the side. Despite an impressive turn of form in the three weeks leading up to the game, the defeat now leaves him treading on eggshells once more with the Stamford Bridge faithful.

The Argentine has already frustrated large swathes of the fanbase with his results this season, and losing at Wembley in the manner Chelsea did, has only made things worse once more. Especially given the quality superiority on paper after 90 minutes, the frustration was escalated when he was asked about the performance.

«Look, of course that was difficult,» he said when pushed on whether the extra time period demanded more of his expensively assembled team. «Of course always some experience, some leadership inside the pitch helps but of course,