"In all of the areas, they were better than us" - Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino makes honest admission after 4-1 Liverpool defeat 

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has made an honest admission following his side's 4-1 defeat against Liverpool. The Blues were second-best on the pitch and were played off the park by the Reds.

Pochettino's side found themselves 2-0 down by half-time. It could have been worse as Darwin Nunez struck the woodwork twice. The Argentine tactician oversaw a slightly improved second half but his side still fell to a comprehensive defeat.

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager admitted in his post-match press conference that the Reds were the better team. He also complained about his side's failure to show composure in possession, as they gave away possession quite often.

“They were more aggressive than us. For us it was difficult to connect and play. It was difficult to recover the ball at the first or the second touch. We lose the ball so easily. They won all the duels. [They] compete better, in all of the areas they were better than us," he said (via GOAL).

The result took the Blues back to tenth place following weeks of optimism over their recent performances. They will return to Premier League action when Wolverhampton Wanderers visit them at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, February 4.

VAR controversy taints Liverpool's win over Chelsea

Liverpool were dominant in their win over Chelsea, but the match was marked by a VAR controversy. The Blues could have had two penalties in either half, but the decisions went against them.

With the score at 0-0, midfielder Conor Gallagher got into a great shooting position in the Reds' box before a challenge from Virgil van Dijk sent him to the floor. The 23-year-old's pleas fell on deaf ears as referee Paul Tierney refused to call it a foul, allowing play to continue.

Similarly, in the second half, French forward Christopher Nkunku pulled one back for Chelsea to make it 3-1. Minutes later, he went down in the box after a kick to the ankle from Van Dijk, but the referee turned down his appeals for a penalty.

Chelsea manager Pochettino was incensed with the decision during the game but refused to speak on them in his post-match press conference.