MAURICIO Pochettino said Chelsea “played football with joy” after the Blues threw off the shackles as they made light of their recent difficulties to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup with an emphatic 3-1 replay win against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Wednesday night.
After shipping four goals in each of their last two Premier League games against Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Blues went ahead through Conor Gallagher on eleven minutes before Nicolas Jackson headed in their second ten minutes later.
The game was gone from Unai Emery’s side in the 54th minute when Enzo Fernandez brilliantly beat his Argentina team-mate and fellow World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez with a 25-yard free-kick into the top corner.
Moussa Diaby scored a 91st-minute consolation for the hosts but it was too little, too late for any chance at stopping Chelsea from booking a tie at home to Championship Leeds United later this month.
Pochettino felt it was up there with his side’s best performances of the campaign.
“I think so, we were talking in the dressing room, and I think it was one of the best or maybe the best this season,” Pochettino said.
“We’re so happy, they played football with joy and that’s what pleased us the most.
“The team was all together, ready to compete, ready to fight and you know always it’s about energy and attitude and today that was there.
“I was saying, ‘I really believe but you need to believe’, and that is about the attitude and fight, and then the talent appeared.
“Today I was more relaxed than ever, because I knew the team was going to perform. I could feel it after Wolves. You really know when the players are with you and the players care for you and want to play for you and this group sometimes they need these types of things to realise it’s possible to push yourself and play better.
“We’re talking about maybe the youngest team in the Premier League and the expectations are so high, so it’s normal to sometimes feel pressure.
“It’s not easy to manage all of these things. There are too many things that as a coaching staff we are dealing with, and it’s difficult to explain to people, but with this type of performance we’re really pleased.”
Chelsea are back in league action on Monday when they face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
