Mauricio Pochettino Clarifies Referee Outburst Following Chelsea's 4-4 Draw with Man City

Mauricio Pochettino expressed contrition towards Anthony Taylor after Chelsea's exhilarating 4-4 tie with Manchester City. His fury was ignited when Taylor closed the game at full-time when Chelsea was seemingly about to make a rapid counterattack in the game's 98th minute at Stamford Bridge. Pochettino was seen vociferously expressing his displeasure towards the referee on the pitch and had to be held back by his staff.

In an interview with Sky Sports post-game, Pochettino was quick to express remorse for his behavior, attributing it to heightened emotions during a tremendously dramatic match:

'Perhaps I overstepped the line given how emotive I was on the sideline. I would like to extend my apologies to everyone and specifically the referee once I realized [my reaction].

'I was thoroughly satisfied with the match, and the referee did try to assist. My intention was to motivate the players to persist, progress, exhibit courage knowing we were up against an exceptional team.'

Despite being visibly irate at the game's conclusion, Pochettino would undoubtedly be overjoyed with his team's performance in the 4-4 standoff against Manchester City. The Blues matched the 2022/23 treble champions stride for stride and managed to secure a well-earned equalizer in the 94th minute – a goal that was scored by former City player, Cole Palmer.

Referring to his team's performance, Pochettino claimed to be 'extremely proud': 'I am absolutely proud and overjoyed. The players are deserving of all the praise they get. The performance tonight was exceptional. We were up against what I consider to be the best team in the world.

'Various incidents throughout the match made me extremely proud, particularly the manner in which we handled the game.

'There's always room for improvement but it's a process. We aim to build a novel project from scratch. These types of experiences and games are exceedingly valuable, they significantly enhance the abilities of our players and our team, but we now have to actualize it and implement it in the future.'

The tie places Chelsea in the upper half of the table as they move into the November international break. The Blues resume domestic action on November 25 against Newcastle United at St. James' Park.