12 November 2023 , 20:29
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Mauricio Pochettino apologised after admitting he lost the plot at the end of an eight-goal classic at Stamford Bridge.
Pochettino was booked after storming onto the pitch at the end to confront referee Antony Taylor as he claimed the final whistle was blown during an attack when Raheem Sterling had the chance to snatch a last-gasp winner. Chelsea boss Pochettino also forgot to shake hands with Pep Guardiola in the process after one of the best games of the season as leaders Manchester City were pegged back.
Pochettino, who saw Cole Palmer snatch an injury time leveller from the penalty spot, said: “I need to apologise to Anthony, the referees and the fourth official. In this moment, I feel that maybe Raheem can go through and go to score the fifth and in this moment when the game finishes I turn and say: ‘what the ….?’ You know, what’s going on. I said: ‘why stop in this moment, the action.’
“Then I turned and said “I deserve, I deserve to be booked.’ Because I crossed the limit, so I want to apologise because it’s not a good image for me and for football, this type of behaviour. I also want to apologise to Pep also because I did not see him in this moment.”
Pochettino praised his players for their spirit and fight as two ex-City stars - Palmer and Raheem Sterling - were on target. “Very, very proud,” he said. “So happy I think the players deserve full credit because the performance this evening was amazing.”
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City boss Guardiola admitted his team lost control of the game but admitted that a draw was a fair result even though he insisted Chelsea should be competing because of the big money they have spent.
Guardiola said: “It’s not normal 4-4. Usually we control more but I can’t remember a game when we come here and had the chances that we had. Even the games we won 0-1 and even last year’s game was much worse than we played today by a million times.
“Do you know what Chelsea have done (to build this team)? In the past it was City, City, City who have done that. Look at what Chelsea have done to create that fantastic team? So it’s normal.
“It was a fair result. It is what it is. Did you have fun?”