“Not good enough” - Paul Merson sets off on astonishing Chelsea rant after Liverpool loss in cup final

Former Arsenal striker Paul Merson has had a go at Chelsea following their 1-0 extra time defeat to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on Sunday (February 25).

In the regulation 90 minutes, both sides had chances to clinch the issue before Reds captain Virgil van Dijk headed in a 118th-minute winner to break Blues hearts.

Mauricio Pochettino's men, in the process, squandered a chance to avenge their 2022 final loss against the same opponents, who were much depleted this time, missing multiple first-team players.

With the Blues languishing in the second half of the Premier League, the FA Cup represents their only realistic hopes of silverware this season. Merson cited that it's 'not good enough' for a Champions League-winning side like the Blues, tweeting:

“It's not long ago that Chelsea won the Champions League. People talk about the success of the club like it was 20 years ago. They won the Champions League three years ago, but the club are still asking for patience from the fans. It's NOT good enough."

Pochettino and Co. have little time to dwell on their Wembley defeat, as they play Leeds United at home on Wednesday (February 28) for a place in the FA Cup quarterfinals.

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Qualifying for Europe is going to be tough - Chelsea boss

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said that the club want to win every competition they play in, but they also need to be realistic with their ambitions.

Following their Carabao final loss and languishing in the wrong half of the league, the Argentinian told the club's website that qualifying for continental football next season is going to be 'tough'.

"Of course, we wanted to win the Carabao Cup, like we want to win the FA Cup, we want to win the Premier League, we want to win every competition.

"That is always the objective at the start of the season, but now the reality is to see if we can qualify to play in Europe next season. It is going to be tough, because of the circumstances and because of the reality."

The Blues are a whopping 17 points off fourth-placed Aston Villa in the final UEFA Champions League spot, a deficit they appear increasingly unlikely to overhaul.