Sarri’s job on line as Man City humiliates Chelsea
Maurizio Sarri admitted his job as Chelsea manager is at risk after Manchester City scored four times inside the first 25 minutes to trash his side 6-0 on Sunday (Monday in Manila).
Sergio Aguero grabbed a hat trick as City leapfrogged Liverpool again to top spot in the Premier League on goal difference.
Chelsea on the other hand slip to sixth with the scale of the defeat putting Sarri’s future in doubt.
“I don’t know. You have to ask the club,” said the Italian when asked if he feared being fired just eight months into a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
“I am worried about my team, worried about the performance but my job is always at risk.”
A 4-0 defeat to Bournemouth in their last away game was Chelsea’s heaviest league defeat since 1996.
And this was their worst loss in any competition since 1991 after failing to recover from Raheem Sterling’s fourth-minute opener.
Eden Hazard went to sleep from Kevin de Bruyne’s quickly taken free kick and Bernardo Silva had acres of space to cross for the England international to fire home.
“We conceded the goal after four minutes in a stupid way,” added Sarri.
“At that moment we had to only stay in the match and we were not able to stay in the match because we made a lot of mistakes against the wrong opponents. They played really fantastic football today.”
City boss Pep Guardiola, though, urged the Chelsea hierarchy not to be trigger happy with Sarri.
The Catalan also suffered during his first year in charge, but always retained the faith of the club’s director of football and his former Barcelona colleague Txiki Begiristain before leading City to the title with a record 100 points last season.
“My first year was difficult too. In some moments we played good but not this consistent. People expect the manager to arrive, buy players and it happens immediately,” said Guardiola.
“It needs time. The main reason I came to Manchester City is because my bosses, chairman, especially Txiki. I don’t have to convince him, he knows me. He doesn’t believe I am good because I win and bad because I lose.”
Liverpool maintain the advantage of a game in hand over City, but given a reprieve by draws for Jurgen Klopp’s men against Leicester and West Ham in recent weeks, the champions look determined to become the first side in a decade to retain the Premier League.