Mauricio Pochettino expressed that Chelsea can approach the upcoming League Cup final with increased confidence after halting Manchester City’s 11-game winning streak with a 1-1 draw at the Etihad on Saturday. Raheem Sterling scored against his former team, as Chelsea defied the odds to add another twist to the closely contested Premier League title race.

City's unbeaten home run extended to 34 games with Rodri’s late equalizer, but they now trail leaders Liverpool by four points and are two adrift of Arsenal at the top of the table. The draw only lifted Chelsea back to 10th place, within six points of the top six, as Pochettino navigates a challenging first season at Stamford Bridge.

Looking ahead to the final against an injury-hit Liverpool, Pochettino emphasized the importance of belief, stating, “We need to feel that it is possible to beat Liverpool.” He acknowledged the team's need for improvement and recovery, highlighting the significance of the final.

Guardiola admitted that City had been made to pay for their performance, despite amassing 31 shots by the end, with nine from Erling Haaland. He expressed confidence in Haaland's abilities, stating, “Nine shots is a good stat. Next game he is going to score.”

Reflecting on Chelsea's performance, Guardiola emphasized the quality of the opposition, stating, “It’s Chelsea! I know they are so young, but they are a fantastic team and against those teams you have to perform for 95 minutes.” He acknowledged that City didn't perform to their usual level in the first half.

Naijamatta is a social networking site,

download Naijamatta from Google play store or visit www.naijamatta.com to register. You can post, comment, do voice and video call, join and open group, go live etc. Join Naijamatta family, the Green app.