Madueke rescues Christmas for Chelsea after tough love - PL hits and misses

Tough love allows 'freed' Madueke to rescue Christmas for Chelsea.

Mauricio Pochettino said this was a game his side simply could not lose. They had to do it the hard way. Chelsea have missed too many big chances this season - more than any other Premier League side - and they missed more here. Nicolas Jackson, again the fall guy.

It had looked like being another frustrating home outing for Pochettino's side for most of the second half. But the charismatic Argentine looked to his bench, as he so often has, rummaged in his bag, and picked out Noni Madueke. Ask many fans and they will tell you he should have started on Wednesday night. But he made his point.

Pochettino said on Madueke's impact: "He played free. The difference is he did what we needed in this moment. He went to play and I liked that he showed that he was upset with me. He was disappointed with me as he hadn't played too much but he showed me that I can trust him.

"They need to show me that I can trust, and the mentality is really important in the Premier League. You need quality, but you need the right mentality and approach in training in order to perform. We are not a charity.

"We are a football club and we need to perform. Sometimes we need to be tough and we need to show the reality when a player isn't ready to perform. If you want to compete for Chelsea, with all respect, it's not like at other clubs. It's about winning trophies and respecting the history of the club."

This turned into a restorative evening for the beleaguered Chelsea boss, who was full of energy on the touchline throughout - collecting a yellow card in stoppage time.

Here came a welcome slice of VAR intervention and a dose of Christmas cheer just when it seemed things were turning further against Chelsea with Madueke providing the crowning glory. With three home wins on the bounce, Chelsea are turning a corner. Aren't they