Pochettino hits out at Neville again as he hails Chelsea character

Mauricio Pochettino gave a big thumbs up to his Chelsea team after they won a tough game against Leeds in the FA Cup. He was happy with how they kept fighting until the end, especially after some criticism from Gary Neville calling them “blue billion-pound bottle-jobs.”

Conor Gallagher scored a last-minute goal, giving Chelsea a 3-2 victory. Now they’re set to play against Leicester in the quarter-final.

Pochettino admitted it wasn’t their best game, but he praised Leeds for their strong play. Chelsea had a rocky start, conceding a goal early on, but their determination paid off.

He mentioned how tough it was to bounce back after losing the Carabao Cup Final to Liverpool just a few days before. Pochettino thanked his players for their hard work.

Leeds scored first with Mateo Joseph’s goal, but Chelsea turned the game around with goals from Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk. Joseph later scored again for Leeds, leveling the score.

Pochettino addressed Neville’s criticism, saying it wasn’t fair, and insisted that Chelsea would prove him wrong by winning games and showing courage.

He respected Neville’s opinion but believed in his team’s bravery and determination. Pochettino emphasized that Chelsea’s loss to Liverpool had nothing to do with Neville’s comments and urged everyone to move forward.

"I think @GNev2 was just frustrated because Liverpool won another title!" ????

A better day at the office for Mauricio Pochettino#ITVFootball | @EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/GrM7LfSyw6

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) February 28, 2024