Mauricio Pochettino: Chelsea boss explains why he started Fernandez and Caicedo against Arsenal

Mauricio Pochettino has joked about why he started the expensive midfield duo of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo against Arsenal despite their late arrivals after long flights from South America.

Chelsea were the better side in the London derby and deserved to get more than a point from the game, but for their late capitulation, they have themselves to blame.

Cole Palmer opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Mykhailo Mudryk scored a screamer from a tight angle, a goal that angered the Arsenal fanbase.

Robert Sanchez gifted the game away after sending a pass straight at Declan Rice, who scored a long-range goal before Leandro Trossard connected with Bukayo Saka's cross to draw the game.

Pochettino explains crazy selection

The first game after the international break is always packed with twists, but for Chelsea, only a few things were unclear, as they had a few players returning from injuries who were doubtful.

For a £200 million plus midfield duo, it was a no-brainer to start them despite them arriving late from international duty, and Pochettino has joked about why he started them. He said, via Evening Standard:

"It’s crazy for players to come back from South America on Wednesday and play on Saturday, but if I say ‘OK, I’m going to give them a rest’ you will kill me, for sure if they don’t play - and the owner also," he said.

"Caicedo and Enzo arrived after two games in America and they were not fresh. But they are important players for us. It’s really tough to arrive like that. I hope now they can recover and train and in one week be at their best."

This partly contradicts his pre-game conference, in which he declared that the two players were ready when giving the team news, via Football London.