Nicolas Jackson’s spat with a fan is a sign of Chelsea’s blues… this side couldn’t be further away from the young and exciting Tottenham team Mauricio Pochettino once built

• Chelsea’s young side lack maturity and knowhow when things don’t go their way 
• Mauricio Pochettino has his work cut out after Brentford’s 2-0 win on Saturday 
• Follow Mail Sport’s new Chelsea WhatsApp channel for all the breaking news 

As attention turned to what next for Chelsea, Mauricio Pochettino quickly interjected when it was suggested that it was Tottenham.

‘Next one is Wednesday here, Carabao Cup,’ he pointed out, referring to Blackburn’s fourth round visit.

But his first return to Spurs is looming large, Chelsea’s next league assignment next Monday.

And for some time it has been an upcoming occasion that is impossible to ignore and one that brings back reminders of the good times Pochettino enjoyed in north London.

After his current side failed to win at home once more against Brentford, memories of how good Pochettino’s peak Tottenham team were on their ground came to mind.

Mauricio Pochettino has his work cut out trying to right this Chelsea ship after another defeat

Chelsea are on a collision course with league leaders Tottenham, who will spell rival’s blood

His Spurs once went a historic whole season unbeaten in their final year at White Hart Lane.

Those who witnessed it first-hand remember how Pochettino evolved Spurs into a side who for a spell were convinced they were almost unstoppable, especially at home.

MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Sanchez 7; Disasi 6.5 (James 67, 6), Silva 8, Colwilll 6, Cucurella 7 (Washington 81); Gallagher 7, Caicedo 7 (Ugochukwu 81); Madueke 6.5 (Maatsen 67, 6), Palmer 8, Sterling 6.5; Jackson 6.

Subs not used: Beach, Petrovic, Badiashile, Gusto, Matos.

Booked: Caicedo

Manager: Mauricio Pochettino 6

BRENTFORD (3-5-2): Flekken 7.5; Ajer 7.5, Pinnock 8.5, Collins 7.5; Roerslev 7, Jensen 7.5 (Onyeka 64, 7), Norgaard 8, Janelt 7 (Yarmolyuk 76), Hickey 7 (Ghoddos 84); Mbeumo 7.5, Wissa 7 (Maupay 76).

Subs not used: Strakosha, Zanka, Mee, Olakigbe, Brierley

Scorers: Pinnock 58, Mbeumo 90+6

Booked: Maupay, Onyeka, Ghoddos, Noorgard

Manager: Thomas Frank 8.5

Referee: Simon Hooper 5

Attendance: 39, 575

If the game was a physical battle or technical test they believed they would come out on top.

If a tactical solution was required, there was total faith that Pochettino could find it.

The contrast with Chelsea right now could not be greater.

Just three league wins have been secured at home during 2023 and Manchester City and Brighton are two of their four remaining visitors.

Yes, it took time for Pochettino to build that Spurs team but that is a – and his – benchmark, along with Chelsea teams of old who possessed a similar sense of invincibility.

This version, as Pochettino admitted, can be frustrated too easily when faced with defensively diligent and deep opponents. There is also nowhere near the same authority.

If they go behind the final outcome appears inevitable rather than it feeling like they can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Chelsea’s woes at home have not solely been on his watch but they are now Pochettino’s problem to solve.

He said: ‘We try to identify that [what is lacking] but it’s not only happened from the beginning of this season. 

‘It was last season also, with different coaches.

‘It is something we need to fix. I don’t say I am worried but we feel the responsibility and try to find the solution.’

Pochettino reiterated that his young team need to mature and are ‘really thinking’ about the answers.

He added: ‘It is about creating a good atmosphere. You need to be in the right way with the fans, with the team. The team need to translate the idea of the fans that [they] can trust of course both ways.

‘I am not talking about the mentality of the club, of the badge, about the fans because Chelsea is about victories and strong mentality. About winning.

‘It is about that team is young and we need to match this level.’

Raheem Sterling looked perplexed as Chelsea plugged in another puzzling league display

Pochettino (right, in conversation with striker Nicolas Jackson) agreed afterwards that his young team need to mature  as their struggles, particularly at Stamford Bridge, continue

Pochettino fired back at a supporter following a spat with Jackson, who shushed the fan

Pochettino referenced the connection with fans after Nicolas Jackson was involved in a spat with a supporter which required his intervention and further fuelled the sense all is not well at Stamford Bridge. Jackson shushed the fan who urged him to wake up.

But, with January around the corner and the likes of Brentford’s Ivan Toney on their radar, another struggle in front of goal for him and his team-mates will have done little to silence talk about Chelsea’s need for a new striker.

Victory was Brentford’s third in a row at Chelsea but Thomas Frank resisted the temptation to twist the knife when asked if visiting the Bridge is a daunting prospect.

He said: ‘We respect everyone hugely. We know there are a lot of teams that have much bigger budgets and on paper better players but the players have big belief in themselves. I have.

‘We believe we can go into any football game, home and away and win. I also know we can lose but we believe massively that we can do it.’

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