Soccer Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Brighton & Hove Albion - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - December 3, 2023 Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino reacts after the match REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File photo
(Reuters) - Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said he was not disappointed in their performance in Wednesday's 2-1 loss at Manchester United because his players "gave everything."
Pochettino said Chelsea had played well enough to get a draw but could not match the hosts' energy and aggression.
"A few days ago we were talking about a fantastic performance and how we were going well," he told reporters, referring to their win over Brighton on Sunday.
"Today because we didn’t get what we wanted here, we cannot change what we say now."
Pochettino had predicted a tough outing at Old Trafford, saying it was not a good time to face Manchester United as they had a point to prove after losing at Newcastle United.
"I am not disappointed because the players gave everything, but maybe we didn’t match the energy. They were a little bit more aggressive than us," he added.
"But we were competitive because we made chances and maybe enough to draw the game. But when the result is 2-1 you get nothing. I think we need to be calm and keep going, trying to help the players to be ready for Sunday."
Chelsea, who are 10th in the league with 19 points from 15 games, visit Everton on Sunday.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
