Chelsea came back from a goal down to defeat Crystal Palace 3-1, and Mauricio Pochettino was happy with his team’s comeback after a lackluster first half.
The Eagles had led at halftime, but Chelsea responded in the later 45 minutes of the game with Conor Gallagher scoring right after the break.
The midfielder then finished his brace in the 90th minute at Selhurst Park, and in the last seconds, Fernandez’s cool finish made it three.
The Chelsea manager was understandably disappointed with his team’s performance in the first half, but he was eventually thrilled with their recovery as they picked up three crucial points away from home.
Pochettino pleased with Chelsea’s win
“After the first 45 minutes I was very disappointed with the performance”, head coach explained. “But that is the challenge every single game. We played a fantastic game against Aston Villa and then after that first 45 minutes, you feel really disappointed”.
“We spoke at half time that we need to avoid approaching a game this way or playing in this way. We were so flat and we can’t perform in this way.”
“In the second half, we started really well, but I think it was a tough game. In the end, I’m really pleased because in this type of game, even if we didn’t play 45 minutes in the way we wanted, it’s useful to build our confidence, analyze, and prepare to be consistent.”
Analyzing every detail, Pochettino identified the areas in which he believes his team must advance to prevent a recurrence of the first half.
He continued: “We are a team where we perform sometimes better when we have space and the possibility to run.”
“We use the transition very well, but when the opponent plays like they played today with a low block, we need to show more patience and move the ball quickly. We were so slow in the way we decided to move the ball.”
“We need to take more responsibility, move the ball as quickly as possible, and find the space because it was easy for Palace to cover the space and for us it was difficult. That is about patience and understanding our position.”
“Sure, I would like to play with 80 per cent possession but not with only one shot on target. We were so flat and not aggressive enough. But in the end, we were much better and that’s the way we want to play.”
The former Palace loanee scored again after scoring his first goal against Aston Villa, and the manager praised Gallagher’s play once more.
He added: “[Conor] is a player with a great commitment to the team and he tries to compensate in an offensive and defensive position, and that is priceless. I’m so happy for him and the team because it’s an important three points.”
“Conor was always the player that arrived before the second line with the possibility to score. Conor is a player who loves to run and use the freedom to play when we have the ball.”
“He is very consistent in dropping back and helping the team in a defensive situation as well. I think he is a player who has been doing a fantastic job since the beginning of the season.”
