Mauricio Pochettino’s inaugural season at Stamford Bridge has proven challenging as he navigates the quest for the optimal formula with an expensively assembled squad.
Despite the hurdles, they secured a crucial victory against bottom club Sheffield United over the weekend.
Although Pochettino boasts achievements such as winning the French league title and the French Cup during his tenure at Paris St-Germain, his coaching resume may appear relatively modest.
Nevertheless, he remains unfazed and is not losing sleep over the perceived lightness of his CV.
“You need to be in the right club, in the right moment with all of the elements to win,” he said. “To be an elite manager, it’s not necessary to win titles, many elite managers still didn’t win or are going to win.
“It’s important to analyse every single project and say you can progress or not or deliver the job everyone expects. (The League Cup) is important for the club because it’s going to be a boost in energy and I really believe in the project.”
Newcastle is eager to secure a spot in the League Cup final, fueled by the disappointment of their loss to Manchester United in the previous season. That defeat denied them their first major trophy in 55 years, adding an extra layer of determination to their current campaign.
“For Newcastle, it is also an important competition but from the beginning of the season it has been one of our objectives,” Pochettino said. “We face a very good team and will be tough.
This is going to be the second meeting between the two sides in all competitions. The Magpies defeated Chelsea 4-1 at St. James Park a few weeks, so Chelsea will also be seeking for revenge.
in terms of team news, both teams have crucial players out injured. Chelsea will be without Recce James, Ben Chilwell, Roberto Sanchez, Romeo Lavia, Chalobah, Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella, while the Magpies will miss the services of Joelinton, Fabian Schar, Nick Pope ,Jacob Murphy, Matt Target, Elliot Anderson, Joe Willock and Harvey Barnes.
