LONDON — The landmark victory Mauricio Pochettino needs to kickstart his Chelsea career still eludes him. Arsenal showed great resilience in battling back to earn a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but Pochettino was left to rue his team throwing away a golden opportunity to secure the sort of result that could have been an important building block in their evolution.
Arteta spoke glowingly this week about how Pochettino taught him so much during their playing days together at Paris Saint-Germain, and for a long time at Stamford Bridge this appeared to be something approaching a lesson in management from the Argentine.
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Pochettino surprised his opposite number by starting Cole Palmer as a false nine. Out of possession, Palmer and Conor Gallagher tirelessly led Chelsea’s press, forcing the visitors into uncharacteristic errors which had Arteta fuming on the touchline.
Arteta is hardly a shrinking violet in the dugout, but his ire is usually saved for the match officials rather than his own players, and so it was noticeable from the outset how frustrated he had become with a combination of Chelsea’s fast start and his own team’s slovenly behaviour.
