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What's the story?
Chelsea forward Pedro has admitted it's time the team reacts to the midweek defeat against Manchester United in the FA Cup that saw them knocked out of the age-old competition. The Spaniard, wary of the forthcoming crucial fixtures, urged calm and focus from his teammates.
In case you didn't know...
The Blues have struggled since the start of the winter in all possible departments. Despite having seen most of the ball in all their recent matches, goals have largely dried up for Sarri's men. At the back as well, there are many frailties, along with the positions occupied by under-fire Jorginho and N'Golo Kante.
Not to mention, the gaffer has been vastly criticized for his stubbornness to stick with the same approach and players against all oppositions. The latest chapter in Chelsea's horror show was the defeat to Manchester United at home, when the hosts didn't even register a shot on target after the 11th minute.
The heart of the matter
Pedro, speaking to the club's official website, acknowledged the defeat but asserted that there's no time to bemoan over spilled milk. With respect to the game, he said:
"It was a very bad day for us, for all the team (against United). It's a difficult situation. In the first half we played very well, we created chances to score one goal, but they had two situations and scored two goals."
"The most important thing was to do a good job creating chances with the ball in the second half, but we couldn't do it and for this reason it was so difficult for us to come back."
Looking ahead, the sharpshooter, aware of the aftermath of demoralizing defeats, asserted:
"There is an important game in the Europa League for us, and after the final against City. The most important thing now is to stay calm, train really hard and recover our best football and our best feeling, because if not we are in trouble."
What's next?
With a one-goal advantage, Chelsea host Swedish powerhouse Malmo FF in the second leg of the Europa League round-of-32 tie, before squaring off against Manchester City in the all-important Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
Both games could potentially define Chelsea's season.
