During Chelsea’s triumph over Aston Villa in the FA Cup last night, ITV commentator John Champion couldn’t resist a playful jab at the sidelined Thiago Silva and his spouse, Belle.
The Blues rebounded from recent setbacks against Liverpool and Wolves to deliver what could be deemed as their most cohesive performance of the season so far.
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Opening goals from Conor Gallagher and Nicolas Jackson in the first half propelled the visitors to a commanding lead, effectively sealing a fifth-round clash against Leeds when Enzo Fernandez scored a spectacular free-kick just 10 minutes into the second half.
Pochettino demonstrated bold decision-making in his lineup choices, all of which proved successful, notably the exclusion of his most seasoned central defender.
The Argentine disclosed having pivotal discussions with the 39-year-old following his wife’s controversial remarks on social media last Sunday, where she seemingly called for the ousting of the Chelsea manager following a disastrous 4-2 defeat.
As Chelsea confidently marched towards victory without the presence of the Brazilian center-back, seasoned commentator Champion amusingly alluded to Silva observing from the sidelines.
‘Something needs to change,’ Champion remarked in the match coverage. ‘Well, maybe they found the thing. Drop her husband.’
Pochettino played it close to the chest when questioned about the choice to bench the former PSG and Milan standout before the match.
After the game, he seemed more interested in discussing the brilliance of his team’s performance throughout the entire 90 minutes.
He said: ‘I’m really pleased because first of all the players were fantastic, they played really well,’ said Pochettino.
‘They enjoyed it and that is the most important thing. They enjoyed in the game against a team that is doing fantastic job, so difficult to beat here.
‘I think they’re the second best team at home. Full of confidence in the top four.
‘I’m really, really pleased with the performance. I think it provides us with the capacity to really believe and that we are all together.
‘If we are all together, and we fight together, and we approach the game in the way we approach today, then I think we are able to perform this way.’
