Chelsea's season has been nothing short of a disaster, with the latest blow coming in the form of a 2-2 draw against bottom-placed Sheffield United. The Blues' star player, Noni Madueke, recently opened up about the team's reaction to this disappointing result and their ongoing struggles.
Following their unexpected draw against Sheffield United, Madueke revealed an eerie silence that filled Chelsea's dressing room. Despite being clear favourites for this match-up due to Sheffield’s imminent relegation to Championship status, Chelsea was unable to secure a win. The game ended dramatically when Sheffield United’s Oli McBurnie scored an equaliser in the 93rd minute.
This outcome left Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea manager, visibly furious with his players for surrendering their lead so late into the game. Post-match comments from Pochettino highlighted his dissatisfaction with his squad's maturity levels and suggested that it might take him five years to rectify all issues at Stamford Bridge.
Players were distraught and complete silence in changing room
Madueke provided further insight into how players reacted after this disappointing result during an interview with BBC Sport pundit. His account paints a grim picture from a Chelsea perspective as he described how they responded post-game.
Noni Madueke, Chelsea player, said:
"Silent [in the dressing room] to be honest,”
“Of course we should have won the game. The way we drop points sometimes, it was in the palm of our hands.
"There is still games to go, we have to stick together and I have faith we can finish in the places we want to finish in. There is some positives for sure, but this is our Achilles heel, the next game after a top result – we haven’t been able to do well in that department so far."
Pochettino revealed reason behind Palmer’s substitute
Adding fuel to fire were concerns over Cole Palmer - named as Chelsea’s player of season - who was withdrawn in the 74th minute due to potential injury concerns. However, Pochettino has since issued an update on Palmer stating that there is no serious issue.
Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea manager, said:
"No, no, no. I think he was tired. My feeling was he was tired. Carney [Chukwuemeka] is another number 10 who can play there and do the job.
"We need to protect him. He got a knock against Manchester United and was a bit more tired than normal. We wanted to protect him after scoring the second goal – trying to avoid a problem in the future."
Palmer has been one of few bright spots in what has otherwise been a bleak season for Chelsea who currently sit ninth on Premier League standings – closer to relegation than they are top three based on points tally.
The current state of affairs at Stamford Bridge is far from ideal. The team's performance this season has been underwhelming, and the recent draw against Sheffield United only adds to their woes. However, with Pochettino at the helm and promising players like Palmer in their ranks, there is hope for a turnaround. It may take time, but Chelsea fans will be hoping that this disappointing season serves as a wake-up call for the team to bounce back stronger next year.
