Mauricio Pochettino has called for improvements to be made to his Chelsea squad in the next transfer window after suffering another Premier League defeat at the hands of a resurgent Everton.
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s second-half strike put the Toffees ahead before youngster Lewis Dobbin scored his first Premier League goal to seal the victory in added time.
It is the fifth time this season that Chelsea have failed to find the net in a league game and Pochettino said his side’s goalscoring issues will need to be addressed in the upcoming January window if his current group cannot start converting their chances.
“Football is about scoring goals and we were not clinical in front of goal,” he told BBC MOTD.
“I’m really, really disappointed. We didn’t get the point we deserved. I think we were better but we didn’t get what we wanted.
“This was a game to play and to win. It’s a problem we need to check. We need to analyse the reality. We need to talk and to try and improve in the next transfer market.”
In his press conference, Pochettino also added: “This was a game to win. It’s a problem we need to check. We need to talk and to try and improve in the next transfer market,” he said.
“We are dealing with this. After five months, or the first half of the season, we need to check and that’s the reality. If we are not aggressive enough maybe we need to do something.
“Our reality now is mid-table and if we want to go up we have to push ourselves. When the transfer window opens (we will) see what we can do.
“I’m not saying I’m going to ask for more players or less players but it is to see if perception matches reality.
“It is a new project, a new team with too many circumstances against us. That’s the reality, too many problems and circumstances from the beginning of the season.
“It’s not as easy to build something new, that is why it is about being strong in that we assess and be clever and take decisions to try to improve in the second part of the season, to be more competitive and get the results a club like Chelsea deserves.”
Reece James, Marc Cucurella and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez were also forced off with injury during the game in further blows for Chelsea.
“Reece felt something in his hamstring. For sure he’s injured, but we don’t know how serious it is,” Pochettino said.
“Of course for us he is an important player, one of the best full-backs in the world. It is really disappointing because after 15 or 20 minutes we were playing well and I think this type of circumstance makes us change, because of course Malo Gusto is recovering from his injury.
“Robert Sanchez suffered a problem at Manchester United, it was an issue with his knee. He felt something during the second half, that is why he asked for the change. We must hope it is not a big issue.
“That is the same for Marc Cucurella, who twisted his ankle. We hope that these issues are not big. These are the circumstances we have been dealing with since the start and it is too much for a young team that needs to have all the elements together if we want to build something solid.”
