Mauricio Pochettino says Stamford Bridge atmosphere is flat and sends message to Chelsea fans ahead of Carabao Cup clash

Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that the flat atmosphere at Stamford Bridge are as a result of Chelsea's poor home form last season.

Although Chelsea are unbeaten in their last eight home games they endured a dreadful run of form at Stamford Bridge in 2023, winning just three times in the first 11 months of the year.

Between January and the beginning of December they scored 18 goals in 19 games, though four came in a single, frenetic draw with Manchester City in the final match of that run.

Since then their form in west London has improved markedly. They are unbeaten since losing to Brentford on October 28 and have won four consecutive games, their best run at home in the league since winning six in a row during Lampard's first spell, either side of the 2020 Covid shutdown.

Despite this, the atmosphere around the ground has been noticeably subdued, with recent victories against Fulham, Preston and Sheffield United, in which Chelsea lacked creativity for long periods, particularly quiet.

Chelsea host Middlesbrough on Tuesday, live on talkSPORT, needing to win by two goals to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat at the Riverside two weeks ago and progress to the Carabao Cup final.

«We're paying now for the effect of the last 18 months,» said Pochettino. «We (he and his coaching staff) are here for six months, sometimes for us it's difficult for us to compare. We're getting better results now, but the disappointment from the fans is coming from last season.

»Now people can give their opinion, it's a bit flat. There's been disappointment for a long period. But how we feel at Stamford Bridge is very good.

«OK, in a few periods in some games, maybe against Nottingham Forest (a 1-0 loss in September) or Brentford the energy was down