‘That’s not football?!’ - Mauricio Pochettino gives frosty response when asked about Chelsea constantly playing long balls against Luton

Chelsea almost gave up a three-goal lead but eventually managed to salvage all three points as they beat Luton Town 3-2 in the Premier League on Saturday. After the match, Mauricio Pochettino was asked about his team's tendency to play too many long balls which did not go down well with the Blues boss as he came up with a frosty response.

Speaking to reporters, Pochettino said, "That's not football? Not really, I didn't see it like this. But okay, I respect your view about the game. We played, maybe, more long passes than short ones but I think we always try to play cleverly and try to break the pressure of Luton but, in my view, we were combining our game, trying to mix long-distance passes with shorter passes."

The hard-fought three points against The Hatters have taken Chelsea back to the top half of the Premier League table as they find themselves in the 10th position after 20 matches. They are now just a point behind ninth-placed Newcastle United and 11 off fourth-placed Aston Villa.

After ending 2023 on a winning note, the Blues will now begin the new year with a favourable home fixture against Preston North End in the FA Cup next weekend before facing Middlesbrough in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash on January 9.