Pochettino applauds Chelsea players after win vs Crystal Palace

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has expressed pride in his team after their recent win against Crystal Palace on Monday in the Premier League.

The Blues suffered a goal due to Jefferson Lerma’s thunderous strike from distance in the first half.

But Conor Gallagher levelled it with an equaliser within two minutes of the second half.

The match was close to ending in a draw before former Palace loanee Gallagher scored a second goal in the first minute of stoppage time.

The Blues secured all three points after Cole Palmer led a counter-attack and teed up Enzo Fernandez to confidently convert into the top corner from eight yards as Chelsea secured their 13th successive Premier League win.

Speaking to BBC Sport in a post-match statememt, Pochettino admitted that he left disappointed with how Chelsea failed to make any impact in the final third during the first half, yet praised his side for how they responded.

The Argentine said: “We saw two different sides. In the first half we were so flat and I was so disappointed. In the second half much better and I am very pleased with how we finished the game. We deserved the three points.

“The energy wasn’t the right energy and the intensity we showed was not great. We dominated but we played so slowly and they way we conceded, we cannot allow to give this type of option to the opponent.

“It is a massive win. That is our challenge to be consistent but this type of fixture will help us build our confidence.”