Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino's assistant takes dig at Tottenham ahead of London derby

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino and his trusted assistant Jesus Perez are set to return to Tottenham Hotspur for the first time since leaving the club. The assistant manager made a cheeky post on social media showing how his allegiance has shifted since his time at Tottenham.

Pochettino spent five years at the helm of affairs at Tottenham Hotspur, earning a hero's status at the club and leading them to the UEFA Champions League final. The Argentine manager will lead out his Blues side against the North Londoners, who have the chance to return to the top of the standings.

Chelsea appointed Mauricio Pochettino in the summer and he joined the club alongside his trusted team, including Jesus. The assistant manager was given his marching orders as his frustration spilled over in the side's defeat to Brentford last week.

Jesus Perez will be back in the dugout, and he took to Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) to show where his allegiance lies now. He posted a mixed picture of his wife and daughter, and they wore a Tottenham shirt in one and a Chelsea shirt in the other. His caption read "Love is colour blind."

The Spaniard, who has worked with Mauricio Pochettino for over a decade, will hope to end up on the winning side on Monday. The Blues need a win to get their season back on track as they currently sit in 13th place in the standings.

Mauricio Pochettino set to lead Chelsea to must-win Tottenham clash

This season, Chelsea have blown hot and cold in the Premier League, with their performances quite inconsistent in the competition. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has watched on in frustration as his side dropped points in matches he knows they should have won.

The Blues finished in 12th place last season despite a significant outlay on new players in the preceding year. The club appointed Pochettino due to the good work he did at Tottenham between 2014 and 2019, a period in which he made them title contenders.

Chelsea have looked their best this season in matches played against the league's better sides, with both Liverpool and Arsenal escaping with draws. This will give the Argentine tactician some hope of his side pulling off an upset heading into the meeting with Spurs.

Pochettino has a lot of work on his hands, with his side only six points above the drop zone. They face tough tests against Manchester City and Newcastle United in the coming weeks, and they need results to go their way.