Sarri vows to continue with his style despite humiliation

MANCHESTER: Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri again vowed to stick with his style of football despite the Londoners suffering their worst defeat since 1991 in Sunday’s hammering at Manchester City as woeful away form threatens to ruin their season.

The statistics do not make pleasant reading for the underpressure Sarri. Chelsea’s 6-0 Premier League drubbing at the Etihad Stadium was alarming but it is the frequency of defeats away from Stamford Bridge that is causing the most concern.

Four away losses in a row in all competitions without scoring equals Chelsea’s club record. Their last away goal was N’Golo Kante’s winner at Crystal Palace on Dec 30.

The City reverse was Chelsea’s third away league defeat in a row in which they have conceded 12 goals, piling the pressure on a manager whose insistence on adhering to his philosophy of possession football is frustrating the Chelsea fans. However, the Italian remains unmoved.

“My target is to play my football, and not to change to other football (styles),” he said.

“Today I didn’t see my football. At the beginning it worked, so now we need to understand the reason why at the moment it isn’t working. I am worried about my team and the performance — my job is always at risk.”

Things have unraveled very quickly for Chelsea, who have had eight different permanent managers in less than eight years.

When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over from Jose Mourinho at Manchester United in December, it appeared Chelsea were in a straight tussle with Arsenal for fourth spot, with Sarri’s side three points ahead of their London rivals and 11 above United.

But after Sunday’s humiliation at the Etihad, United are in fourth place, one point ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea.

To show how things have turned around, United now have a better goal difference than Chelsea, having been 21 goals worse off before Solskjaer’s first game against Cardiff on Dec 22.

Sarri, meanwhile, appeared to snub Pep Guardiola after the game.

It is customary for managers to shake hands after the match but Sarri walked past the City boss and down the tunnel at full-time.

Guardiola was asked about it and he played it down after speaking to Sarri’s assistant manager Gianfranco Zola — who said Sarri did not see him.