"It's way more difficult than I suspected" - Chelsea star Thiago Silva's wife delivers worrying verdict after defeat to Aston Villa

Thiago Silva's wife Belle recently admitted she's surprised by Chelsea's current situation after the Blues suffered their third defeat of the season against Aston Villa.

The west Londoners were looking to bounce back from a 0-0 draw against Bournemouth when they came up against Villa. Mauricio Pochettino has overseen a disastrous start to the campaign with just one win in the league.

The dark cloud that's growing over Stamford Bridge didn't subside in their clash with Unai Emery's Villains. They suffered a 1-0 defeat at home courtesy of Ollie Watkins' 73rd-minute strike. The goal came after Malo Gusto was sent off in the 58th minute for a reckless challenge.

Belle Silva expressed her concerns with Chelsea's poor showing thus far this season. She admits it's been more difficult than expected, posting on X (formerly known as Twitter):

"I never thought it was going to be easy but seriously it’s way more difficult than I suspected."

Pochettino hasn't been without problems beyond his control as an injury crisis has plagued the Blues. Moises Caicedo made a return to action against Villa as did Armando Broja.

However, Chelsea's injury list is extensive, with the likes of Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, Reece James, Carney Chukwuemeka, Benoit Badiashile, and Noni Madueke sidelined.

The west Londoners have spent around £1 billion since Todd Boehly became co-owner back in May 2022. This has perhaps taken the club backward as it's been one rebuild after another. They have broken the British transfer record twice in the space of three summer transfer windows.

The pressure is mounting on Pochettino despite the Argentine coach only just arriving in the summer. His side sit 14th in the league and have daunting clashes with Arsenal (October 21) and Tottenham Hotspur (November 6) on the horizon.

---

Mauricio Pochettino sends messages to Chelsea duo after they both incur suspensions

The Argentine has cut a frustrated figure on the touchline this season.

Pochettino hasn't been helped by his side's petulance this season and Nicolas Jackson has been one of the main culprits. The Colombian forward picked up his fifth booking of the season for dissent against Villa.

Meanwhile, Gusto's sending-off means Chelsea will be without a right-back for their Carabao Cup third-round clash with Brighton & Hove Albion. It's a nightmare situation given Pochettino is already dealing with injury problems.

The Blues boss isn't placing blame on Gusto but he insists that the officials need to be trusted (via football.london):

"It was in front of me but I didn't see it back – we need to trust the referee and VAR. It is our responsibility. I am not going to blame and say something against Malo Gusto because sometimes things happen in football but they affect the game."

Pochettino then touched on Jackson's dissent issues in which he acknowledged the young forward needs to rein in his temperament:

"We were talking, we need to grow up like a team. Nico is young and is feeling the Premier League. Football is about winning but players when they are young need to learn. That is why we feel disappointed. We have too many situations like this."

Chelsea will next be in action when they face Brighton in the Carabao Cup. It's a tough ask against Roberto De Zerbi's Seagulls who are flying high in third in the Premier League.