Pochettino defends under-fire Sterling after boos from Chelsea fans

Mauricio Pochettino has defended Raheem Sterling after the forward came under-fire for his performance against Leicester, while also addressing boos towards himself during the game.

Sterling had a string of moments to forget during a 4-2 win in the FA Cup quarter-final. He missed a penalty in the first half, while also sending a free-kick high into the stands later in the game.

He missed another clear chance earlier in the game, although Sterling did assist Cole Palmer's goal to double Chelsea's lead.

Palmer has often been the Blues' penalty taker and addressing the incident after the game, Pochettino said: "Cole gave the ball to Raheem. I think they have a good relationship from Man City.

"When Raheem asked to take the penalty, you can see Cole [give him the ball]. It's not a problem - Cole can miss, Raheem can miss. For me, the decision is theirs and I want to always support the decision of my players on the pitch."

When further discussing the performance of Sterling, Pochettino was firm in his support for his player, adding: "It's obvious that I cannot hide anything. The feelings weren't good for him, but I'm going to support him and today is a great opportunity to support him.

"He has an unbelievable CV, he's played in big teams and he's an experienced player. He missed a penalty and some chances, but I'm happy with him and we are going to support him.

"The chance is to show we are building something. It's my decision as always to play with eleven players, always doing the best for the team, the club and fans. It's keep going, being strong and believing in the way we are doing things."

Sterling was not the only figure to receive the ire of Chelsea's home crowd, with Pochettino also targeted with boos during the match - and