"We showed full control in the first half": Pochettino on Chelsea's 2-2 draw against Brentford

New Delhi [India], March 3 (ANI): Following Chelsea FC's 2-2 draw against Brentford in the Premier League (PL) on Saturday, the Blues' head coach Mauricio Pochettino said that they played well in the first half.
While speaking at the post-match press conference, Pochettino said that Chelsea have created many chances in the first half against Brentford. However, he added that they failed to put up a better performance in the second half and allowed the hosts to take the lead.
"We showed full control in the first half. We created many chances and I think we played very well. Of course, we didn't start well in the second half and we allowed them to take the lead. We conceded some crosses and it was tough because the game was really open, too many transitions and they made it 1-1," Pochettino was quoted by Chelsea's official website as saying.
He added that they have to "defend better" in the upcoming matches of the league. He also praised the Chelsea FC players for their "massive" effort on Saturday.
"We must defend better, of course, at a very difficult place to come. But we've had a tough three games in six days, and I think the effort was massive. It was hard to keep the energy in the second half. I think that was the key to the game," he added.
When asked about Brentford's performance, Pochettino said that they were "direct" while playing and Chelsea were "not consistent" at that moment.
"They played more direct. We were not consistent at this moment. We conceded and that changed the game, their belief increased. In the end, of course, we wanted all three points, but we are disappointed a little bit in the way we conceded and because the team made the effort to get all three," he further added.
Recapping the match, a late header from Axel Disasi helped Chelsea secure a fighting 2-2 draw against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
After some missed chances, Nicola Jackson put the Blues at the top with a header in the 35th minute of the game, ending the first half with a lead. However, Brentford bounced back in the second half, with Mads Roerslev Rasmussen (in the 50th minute) and Yoane Wissa scoring in the 69th minute. However, Disasi scored the equaliser in the 83rd minute, earning Chelsea a point.
Chelsea is the 11th in the points table with 10 wins, six draws and 10 losses, which gives them 36 points. Brentford is at the 15th spot with seven wins, five draws and 15 losses, which translates to 26 points. (ANI)