'I didn't hear anything!' - Mauricio Pochettino questions criticism of his struggling Chelsea side as he makes bizarre comparison to top-of-the-table Liverpool after Reds' Arsenal defeat

Pochettino and his team were targeted by the media, pundits and fans after going 4-1 down to Liverpool, a result that was followed up by a 4-2 loss to Wolves. Liverpool then went on to suffer a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal and Pochettino noticed a lack of criticism aimed at Jurgen Klopp's team.

He said at a press conference: "I am a coach, huh? A head coach and sometimes we can make a mistake but that is football, that happened and we need to keep moving and stay strong. I think we have very good group of players. [But] for different reasons, like I have explained, we are not performing in the way people expect and always when the expectation is different to the reality, it is difficult to get what you deserve. That is why the patience never arrived. After losing against Liverpool, it was like: 'Massive, massive fail. Look at Chelsea, how bad'. And of course, they lose now, Liverpool, against Arsenal and I didn't hear anything about that there is a similar result when we played against Liverpool."

While Liverpool remain top of the Premier League despite their recent defeat, Chelsea are sitting 11th in the table having won just nine of their matches this term. Their disappointing performances and results have sparked calls for Pochettino's sacking, notably by the wife of defender Thiago Silva. The Argentine, however, insists he received a positive message from the club's co-owner Todd Boehly after the match against Wolves.

Pochettino's team will attempt to end their three-game winless run when they meet Aston Villa in an FA Cup fourth-round replay on Wednesday. Five days later, they will play in a London derby as they visit Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League.