Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino expressed the need for reinforcements in the transfer market after his team suffered a surprising 2-0 defeat to Everton on Sunday, despite the club's substantial £1 billion ($1.3 billion) spending on new players in the past 18 months.
Everton secured their third consecutive win, lifting them four points clear of the relegation zone, a remarkable feat considering the 10-point deduction they faced for financial rule breaches. Abdoulaye Doucoure opened the scoring, and Lewis Dobbin's first Everton goal sealed the damaging defeat for Pochettino's side.
Chelsea, slipping into the bottom half of the table, faced a familiar issue as they dominated the game but struggled to convert possession into goals. Pochettino acknowledged the need for improvement, saying, "We need to analyse reality. We need to talk and try to improve in the next transfer market."
The defeat marked the seventh in 16 league games for Pochettino, putting pressure on him to find a quick solution to Chelsea's issues. Despite dominating possession, Chelsea failed to capitalise on their chances, and Pochettino admitted, "Football is about scoring goals, and we were not clinical in front of goal."
Pochettino shuffled the lineup in an attempt to bounce back from a midweek defeat at Manchester United. Chelsea welcomed back Conor Gallagher from suspension, but injuries persisted as captain Reece James was forced off in the first half.
Everton, coming off a 3-0 win against Newcastle, took time to warm up but proved clinical when needed. Doucoure's goal and Dobbin's late strike secured a memorable victory for Everton, capping a stunning week that nearly erased the club's harsh 10-point deduction.
Despite the considerable investment in new players, Pochettino faces mounting challenges as he seeks to guide Chelsea through a difficult period and address their scoring woes in upcoming transfer windows.
