Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Nizaar Kinsella

Malo Gusto hails Chelsea unity and mentality switch after Aston Villa win: 'We are not dead'

Malo Gusto insists that Chelsea “are not dead” despite their struggles this season.

The Blues eased the pressure on under-fire manager Mauricio Pochettino with a 3-1 win against Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Wednesday night.

Chelsea produced their best performance of the season at Villa Park and Gusto hailed the mentality of the team.

The French international said: “We are Chelsea. We just have to show the fans we are not dead and that we work every week to get better. That is what we have to do.

“[The difference] was the mentality. The mentality of us all together was very nice and that is why we won.

“The coach told us to get a good mentality, stick together and to put pressure [on them instead] — and that’s what we did.”

Chelsea’s starting lineup at Villa had an average age of 22.8 and Gusto has urged everyone at the club to stick together.

“We know the group is young but we have to stay together, work together and keep this good mentality to become better players,” said the right-back.

“That is what we did [against Villa]. We just focused on playing well together and moving forward.

“We just have to win every game and stay focused on the Premier League, FA Cup and win this final in the Carabao Cup [against Liverpool], that is what we have to do.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.