Pochettino defends the man who sacked him as he tries to outsmart Spurs' new sweetheart Ange

Mauricio Pochettino is set for an emotional return to Tottenham on Monday night in more problematic circumstances than he may have once expected. The Blues boss is excited to make the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but may not receive a warm welcome from the home support he became acquainted with over six years now that he leads Chelsea.

"The expectation was high because year after year, we thought something important was happening there. The expectation was to win the league or Champions League. Now, maybe the difference is that after four years, they are doing well but without the pressure of needing to win. It's a completely different situation. That's why sometimes it is unfair to compare the situations."

Pochettino remains clear that he still holds affection for the club he managed for the longest. Many initially believed that Spurs had failed to a degree by not approaching Pochettino before he committed his future to Chelsea.

"It's a good question but hard to answer. I was at PSG, and maybe the timing was never right. That's why it never happened in four years to come back."

Tottenham's left-backs Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies are both doubtful due to injuries and will undergo fitness tests. Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, and Manor Solomon remain sidelined.

Their head Ange Postecoglou has made the best start by a Premier League manager after 10 games in charge. He is aiming to become only the third manager to avoid defeat in his first 11 fixtures, following the footsteps of Nottingham Forest's Frank Clark in 1994 and Chelsea's Maurizio Sarri in 2018. Spurs could secure their fifth consecutive Premier League victory for the first time since December 2018 - under Pochettino.

The Argentinean tactician is still building his team at Stamford Bridge, but has been hampered by numerous injures. Forwards Armando Broja and Mykhailo Mudryk have returned to training and are now available for selection, but Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, and Christopher Nkunku are still sidelined. The fitness situation has been one of the main reasons for the Blues' awful form.

In 2023, Chelsea has suffered 15 Premier League defeats, which is only one less than their combined losses in 2021 and 2022. This marks their highest number of league defeats in a year since they also lost 15 times in 1994. During his tenure as Spurs manager, the current Chelsea head coach won four out of his ten league matches against Chelsea, matching the total number of victories achieved by all other Spurs managers in the remaining 52 Premier League meetings.

Despite his departure from Spurs, Pochettino maintains a positive relationship with his former boss, Daniel Levy, even though their professional relationship had a bitter ending.

"Yes, we are very good, respectful. He sent me a text when I signed for Chelsea, wishing me the best to me and my staff. It is natural after six years of working together. Many things happened in six years, some good, some not so good. We will not forget our relationship in a period that was important for our careers and the club also."

Pochettino also believes Levy has done an 'amazing' job, even if the chairman is not held in such esteem by all quarters.

"He has been involved in football for more than 20 years. We both understand the situation. It's important to understand fans are emotional, more than us, and want every time for the team to win. I cannot say if it is fair or unfair, just like whether we should have been sacked or not. We need to accept the rules of football. Daniel is doing an amazing job for Tottenham and the club. When you see how the club has moved on in 20 years, you have to recognize his job."

PREMIER LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 11

Saturday

Fulham - Manchester United 0-1 (0-0)

/Fernandes 90+1/

Brentford - West Ham 3-2 (1-2)

/Maupay 11, Mavropanos 55 og, Collins 70 - Kudus 19, Bowen 26/

Burnley - Crystal Palace 0-2 (0-1)

/Schlupp 22, Mitchell 90+4/

Everton - Brighton 1-1 (1-0)

/Mykolenko 7 - Young 84 og/

Manchester City - Bournemouth 6-1 (3-0)

/Doku 30, Bernardo 33, 83, Akanji 37, Foden 64, Ake 88 - Sinisterra 74/

Sheffield United - Wolves 2-1 (0-0)

/Archer 72, Norwood 90+10 pen - Bellegarde 89/

Newcastle United - Arsenal 1-0 (0-0)

/Gordon 64/

Sunday

Nott.Forest - Aston Villa 2-0 (1-0)

/Aina 5, Mangala 47/

Luton - Liverpool 1-1 (0-0)

/Chong 80 - Diaz 90+5/

Monday

23:00: (2.20) Tottenham (3.52) Chelsea

***odds are subject to change***