“It is our responsibility” – Pochettino offers honest opinion of Chelsea defender Malo Gusto’s red card in defeat to Aston Villa

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has provided his take on the red card incident involving defender Malo Gusto in their defeat to Aston Villa on September 24.

During the Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge, Gusto was sent off following a hazardous tackle on Villa's Lucas Digne in the 58th minute. Initially booked with a yellow card, the decision was subsequently upgraded to a red card after the intervention of VAR. As a result, Gusto will be absent for the Blues' next three fixtures due to the suspension.

In the aftermath of the defeat, Pochettino came forward to share his viewpoints. The Chelsea boss remarked (via Football London):

"It was on front of me but I didn't see it back – we need to trust the referee and VAR."

When pressed to comment on the necessity of Gusto's challenge, Pochettino responded:

"It is our responsibility. I am not going to blame and say something against Malo Gusto because sometimes things happen in football but they effect the game."

From a tactical perspective, Gusto's absence for three games comes as a considerable blow for Chelsea, particularly given the congested fixture list in the coming weeks. First-choice right-back Reece James is also currently out due to an injury.

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Chelsea's early season woes continue after 1-0 loss to Aston Villa

Chelsea's subpar commencement to this Premier League season was further exacerbated by a 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa, courtesy of a stellar strike by Ollie Watkins.

Astonishingly, this marks the first time in three decades that Villa have secured back-to-back league victories over the Blues. Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino's squad has now experienced their most dismal start to a Premier League campaign since the 1978-79 season.

Although Chelsea had multiple opportunities to score, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez's exceptional saves for Aston Villa proved crucial. The Blues have now failed to find the back of the net in their last three league outings.

Aston Villa also generated a plethora of scoring chances. However, it was Ollie Watkins who eventually broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, finishing off a swift counter-attack with Moussa Diaby. The game took a decisive turn 15 minutes before Watkins' decisive strike when Malo Gusto was issued a straight red card.

Originally brandished a yellow for a robust challenge on Lucas Digne, the color was escalated to red after referee Jarred Gillett conducted a pitchside VAR review. The result leaves the Blues in a precarious 14th place, amassing a mere five points from six games. On the flip side, Aston Villa seem invigorated, propelling themselves to sixth place, just a whisker away from the top four.