Chelsea are facing a "truly disastrous week" as the pressure piles on manager Mauricio Pochettino, following a dramatic EFL Cup final defeat to Liverpool in extra time on Sunday.
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A large portion of Liverpool's XI were on the very young side, to add insult to injury, with Pochettino claiming his star-studded team needed to feel the pain after what was a sore loss to take in London.
"We are very competitive and now we need to move forward," said Pochettino on Chelsea's defeat to Liverpool.
"They need to realise that we need to work more, do better things. We need to improve and compete in this level against a side that in the last five, six, seven years has competed for big things.
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"It's about arriving here first and then feel what it means to play for a big trophy. I remember after three, four years they lost the Champions League [final], they lost the Europa League [final]. They keep believing in the project and in the next season [got] stronger until they got what they wanted.
"That is a good example, Liverpool. We want to challenge a team like Liverpool. [We should not be] frustrated today because we didn't get the trophy. We need to keep believing, as that is the most important thing."
Following the cup defeat, rumours are starting to re-emerge over Pochettino's position as head coach, coming after Chelsea were linked with a new manager like Xabi Alonso earlier this month.
Pochettino "facing the sack" if Chelsea lose to Leeds
Now, journalist Dean Jones has claimed Pochettino is "facing the sack" if Chelsea lose their FA Cup bout to Leeds tomorrow.
"This is a massive loss," said Jones to GiveMeSport.
"You don't get a better chance to beat Liverpool than to come up against a side missing as many players as they were at Wembley. They got away with Moises Caicedo's tackle and the Virgil van Dijk VAR goal, and when their chances came along they just couldn't take them. That's hard to accept – and made harder by the fact they didn't go for the kill in extra-time when Liverpool were fielding youngsters that many people literally would never have heard of.
"The late defeat has been described as pathetic and they are being labelled bottle jobs and now they have to take on Leeds United, one of their oldest rivals in the game. Leeds will come to London believing they can cause an upset and if they do then Pochettino is probably going to be facing the sack. It could become a truly disastrous week."