Mauricio Pochettino has extended an apology to Brentford after Jesus Perez was shown a red card following an altercation with their coaching staff during Chelsea’s 2-0 home loss on Saturday. This defeat has caused Chelsea to drop to 11th place in the Premier League, having lost at home for the third time this season.
Pochettino’s team initially displayed a strong performance in the match, keeping Brentford under pressure in their own penalty area for extended periods. Unfortunately, they were unable to convert this pressure and the resulting chances into a goal.
Brentford took the lead when Ethan Pinnock headed in a corner in the 30th minute, and Bryan Mbuemo secured the victory with a goal in stoppage time, taking advantage of Robert Sanchez’s absence after he went up for a late corner.
The West London derby was quite intense, both on and off the pitch. Assistant coach Jesus Perez was sent off by referee Simon Hooper after an incident with Brentford’s coaching staff in the second half. Pochettino has offered his apologies on behalf of his long-serving assistant, explaining that Perez was simply attempting to retrieve the ball quickly from in front of the Brentford dugout so that Chelsea could restart the game in their quest for an equalizer, which never materialized.
Perez typically accompanies Pochettino at press conferences to assist with translations, but he was absent after the match. Pochettino clarified that this was due to the rules preventing him from entering the other team’s technical area. He reiterated their apologies to Brentford and the referee, emphasizing that Perez’s intentions were purely to retrieve the ball.
When asked if Perez’s absence from the post-match press conference was a consequence of the red card, Pochettino stated that the rule likely resulted in him being banned from such situations, suggesting it’s better to stay away.
Reflecting on the defeat, the Chelsea manager pointed out that the analysis of the loss was straightforward. He felt that in the first half, they should have scored but failed to do so, despite dominating the game and creating numerous opportunities. He emphasized that when a team dominates, creates chances, and doesn’t concede any, they should score. Their inability to do so led to the defeat, and Pochettino added that sometimes a bit of luck is needed to score. In the second half, the game changed, and they conceded goals they shouldn’t have, which ultimately resulted in their loss.
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