Chelsea succumbed to an embarrassing defeat in their Tuesday Premier League match against Mikel Arteta's brilliant Arsenal team at the Emirates Stadium.
However, it was a defeat that was caused by lineup changes and tactical errors from Chelsea's coach, Pochettino. Let us look at three mistakes the Chelsea boss made against Arsenal.
1. Dropping Thiago Silva and Chalobah
The combination of Thiago Silva and Chalobah solidified Chelsea's defense in their games against Everton and Manchester City, and they conceded just 1 goal. Instead of continuing with the defensive duo, Pochettino dropped them and brought back Disasi and Badiashile, who have been defending poorly. It ended up being a good day for Arsenal, as even their poor forwards scored against Chelsea.
2. Starting Nicholas Jackson ahead of Sterling
Jackson has consistently missed clear chances in previous matches, but Pochettino still preferred to start him in the game ahead of Raheem Sterling, who has a better conversion rate. His patience with the Cameron forward did not pay off as he, again, bottled many chances while the team was conceding.
3. Playing Alfie Gilchrist ahead of Chilwell
It was also a blunder for Pochettino to start Gilchrist while Chilwell, who played in the last game, was available. The young lad absorbed enormous pressure and provided little or no pullouts in the game.