Chelsea star ‘needs to improve’ as Pochettino admits he’s ‘not at his best’ currently

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has admitted winger Mykhaylo Mudryk is “not at his best” and “needs to improve” despite scoring in a draw against Arsenal.

Mudryk joined the Blues in stellar form in January, having scored 10 goals and provided eight assists in 18 games in the first half of the season for Shakhtar Donetsk.

Upon moving to Stamford Bridge and making a discernible step up from the Ukrainian Premier Liga, his production faltered. In 17 games in all competitions in his first half season with Chelsea, the winger failed to score, and provided two assists.

This season, he seems to be on the rise. Mudryk has scored twice in the Premier League, both goals coming in the last three games, including one which put the Blues 2-0 up against high-flying Arsenal, before the Gunners brought things back late on.

Despite his increase in production in front of goal, his manager, Pochettino, believes there’s another level he needs to reach.

“No, I think he is playing well but also he needs to improve still. For me he is not at his best,” he said, quoted by football.london.

Mudryk was replaced in the 66th minute against the Gunners, with the score still at 2-0, before they scored a late double, and Pochettino feels it was unlucky that goals came so close to the winger and others being substituted.

“After that situation, we created a few chances and I think the game was closer to 3-0 than 2-1. I think the chances, Palmer and Nico. I think we want to keep a little pressure and not only say okay, we are going to protect the result,” Pochettino added.

“But in the end, when we change with Reece [James] and Noni [Madueke], two minutes before that we concede a goal.

“It was a little bit unlucky that is the type of situation that happens in football and we feel sad but in another way we are very positive because we showed great character and personality and the team performance was really good.”

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