Mauricio Pochettino raging! Levi Colwill reveals ‘hairdryer treatment' from furious Chelsea boss after terrible first-half display against Preston

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill revealed that the entire squad received the so-called "hairdryer treatment" from an angry Mauricio Pochettino after the team's disastrous first-half showing against Preston North End. It was a tepid display from the Premier League club, who failed to breach the Championship side's defence once.

When asked if the team got the "hairdryer treatment" from their manager, Colwill told ESPN+ (via Chels_HQ): "Something like that! I think we needed it though, we weren't good enough, as everyone saw. The second half was much better."

On his team-mates Raheem Sterling and Armando Broja, who both got on the scoresheet, the defender added: "Raheem [Sterling] normally practices free-kicks the day before a game and he always scores. I think he's scored two now — Newcastle and then today — so from that position, he's a specialist at free-kicks.

"I love playing with Armando [Broja], he's a great striker and a good mate of mine. I always encourage him because I know how good he can be. Today he showed it with his goal."

ESPN pundit Julien Laurens was in attendance at Stamford Bridge, meaning he too had to sit through the dire first-half display that got Pochettino so riled up. He slammed the Blues' performance in similar savage fashion, writing on X: "I'm at Chelsea-Preston in the FA Cup (because I love football that much…) and I don’t know what to say about this Chelsea team anymore."

Pochettino's scolding seemed to do the trick as the Blues came back strongly after half time, as they scored four times - with three goals coming in the space of 11 minutes. Strikes from Broja, Thiago Silva, Sterling and Enzo Fernandez rounded out what looked like like a convincing victory, although their first-half display suggests it was anything but.

Pochettino's men therefore comfortably qualified for the FA Cup fourth round with a 4-0 victory, but they will now shift their focus to another cup competition. The Blues are scheduled to face Middlesbrough in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash on Tuesday away from home.