Christian Pulisic has warned the strength of Chelsea’s mentality is about to be tested in the wake of their 5-2 defeat to West Brom on Saturday.
Pulisic gave the Blues the lead in the first half of the clash at Stamford Bridge, but the relegation-threatened visitors fought back to secure the three points.
It is Chelsea’s first defeat in any competition since Leicester got the better of them in January 19 and Pulisic feels his team need a strong response as they prepare for some high-profile matches.
What has been said?
“It’s a big test of our mentality now. We’ve got some really big games coming up,” the 22-year-old, who went off with a hamstring injury, told the club’s website.
“We’ve been in good form prior to the international break and obviously we’ve come back and lost one game. We can’t dwell on that because we have a lot to play for in both the Premier League and the Champions League. We have to recharge now, refocus and regroup and come back strong and ready for the next game.”
Where does the loss leave Chelsea in the table?
Chelsea are still fourth in the Premier League, occupying the final place that guarantees a spot in the group stage of next season’s Champions League.
Pressure is building on the London side, however, as Tottenham, Liverpool and West Ham are all just two points behind. Everton are five points adrift but have two games in hand.
What next for Chelsea?
Thomas Tuchel’s team face Porto in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday. They will then return to Premier League duty with a trip to Crystal Palace next Saturday.
Chelsea are still in contention for the FA Cup, with a semi-final clash against Manchester City scheduled for April 17.