Chelsea: Forget this season, focus on winning the Europa League to get Champions League birth, fire Sarri

Chelsea’s side has appeared in disarray for much of the season under the Italian manager – and they lost 2-0 at Everton today to pile more pressure on the boss.

After the match Sarri was asked what happened in the second half.

Great win! 💪🏻👊🏻 @Everton pic.twitter.com/i5gtJe0qzV— Bernard Duarte (@b_10duarte) March 17, 2019

Maurizio Sarri has admitted it will be ‘impossible’ for Chelsea to qualify for the Champions League if their shocking second half at Everton is consistently repeated.

The Chelsea head coach was left perplexed at the manner in which his team surrendered a position of strength at Goodison Park and disintegrated in the second 45 minutes, enabling the hosts to beat top six opposition for the first time in 26 attempts.

There was no sign of such an outcome during the first half, as Chelsea controlled the tempo, but the way in which they folded after Richarlison had opened the scoring left Sarri to openly question the mentality of his squad, who fluffed the opportunity to put pressure on their top-four rivals.

But trigger-happy Roman Abramovich might now use the international break as space to sack Sarri and bring in a new manager.

And it could well be a smart move for the Blues were they to ditch Sarri now.

Chelsea manager Sarri is understood to be under pressure in west London after a disappointing first season in charge.

The Blues are struggling to land a top-four finish in the Premier League and look set to go without a trophy this season – unless they win the Europa League.

Former Napoli boss Sarri was only appointed back in the summer, when Chelsea paid £4.4m to acquire him.

They also sacked Antonio Conte at an estimated cost of £9m.

“I don’t know and the players don’t know what happened in the second half,” he said.

“I cannot explain it. We played the best first half in the season and we could have scored four or five and then suddenly we stopped playing.

Everton 2-0 Chelsea FT:

Shots: 15-16
Pass accuracy: 73%-84%
Chances created: 9-14
Possession: 33%-67%

Goals from Richarlison and Sigurdsson give Everton the three points against Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/0QUYUo5ta6— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 17, 2019

“It’s very strange and we stopped to defend and counter attack.

“We were in control of the match and we played very well so we needed continue but we didn’t defend at the start of the second half. We changed the system but it was the same.

“The problem was mental on the pitch, so the system and the tactics are not important.

“It wasn’t about motivation because we started very well. We have to play eight matches now and we have to fight for our possibilities.”

“If you are asking me about the top four I would say it depends on whether you are speaking about the first half or the second.

It will be hard to reach the top four now but I would not say impossible. If we can play like we did in the first half for eight matches we will give ourselves a chance.”


Marco Silva accepted the first half had been difficult for the home side but played down his role in producing a second-half performance of far greater intensity. “What I said at the interval was simple,” the Everton manager said. “I said in the second half we just have to do everything different. I was pleased with the response from the players, in the second half we showed our real selves.”

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