Chelsea players proved their backing for Maurizio Sarri in Carabao Cup final, insists David Luiz
David Luiz believes Chelsea’s Carabao Cup final performance showed the squad are behind Maurizio Sarri despite the ultimate defeat to Manchester City and controversy over goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, but just need to find consistency. The Brazilian feels the side have not shown the team they really are this season, but can use the League Cup run to finish strongly and go for the Europa League.
Sarri’s position has been under threat after a poor spell that culminated in the 6-0 at City earlier in February. His authority seemed to be further undermined by Kepa’s refusal to go off at the end of the cup final, but sources say the club hierarchy were impressed with the resolve of the performance, and David Luiz revealed they had focused on what went wrong in the defeat at the Etihad to put it right. He felt they did with a spirited display at Wembley, and also described Sarri’s approach as “a great philosophy”.
“The first thing after the 6-0 we had to recognise what we did badly and try to improve,” the Brazilian revealed. “I think we did that [on Sunday] we showed that on the pitch against the same team.
“That’s why we played an amazing game. We also wanted to show that with our performance because he’s a great manager, he’s a great person and he deserves our respect and deserves the respect of everybody.
“He can lift everyone for the rest of the season and that’s our goal.
“This has been our problem in the season, our consistency. We have some great performances like today and at home against them when they were unbeaten. I think it is up to us to find consistency for every single match because on Wednesday we have another tough game and we have to have as high performance like today’s.”
“For me the consistency is not just about results it is consistency to fight for every single match to have a great team. Sometimes you will win sometimes you will lose sometimes we would concede a goal and lose all our philosophy and all our ideas.”
David Luiz believes Sarri’s approach can still work with this Chelsea squad in the Premier League.
“It’s a great philosophy. There’s complete confidence. You have a long way to win and be the best team, but to be the best team you have to try to start and that’s what we are trying to do. There’s confidence in the system and that’s why we played a great game.”
“We have a great team, great coach, great players it is up to us to find the balance and be good every single match. Chelsea is a team which should be fighting for the Premier League and now we are seeing it is a it far so it is not the same mentality it is up to us to pass this step.
“That is our goal. You have the Europa League, you have the Premier league to fight until the end to finish in the Champions League positions.
“So we have given an answer after the tough few weeks we’ve had, we gave a very good answer because we showed what Chelsea is about: great players, great team, we played against the best team in Europe at the moment and we controlled the second half and could have won the game.”
David Luiz also revealed that he personally feels better than ever, and that his physical stats are among the best of his career, as he expects to stay at Che;sea despite his contract running out at the end of the season.
“If you look at my numbers this season, it’s another thing to show them, especially the physical numbers this season, this season my numbers are amazing, especially physically. “They are better than when I was 28. My speed the other day was 34km/h. My best in life was 35/36, so now it is good. Mbappe is 38, but I cannot fly! I think it’s over 50m.
“I think it’s one of the best seasons I’ve had individually but, for me, this doesn’t count because I want my team to win and it’s better that my team wins 5-4 and it’s better that everyone talks bad about me but my team is winning than I’m doing great job and we’re still not winning!
“Personally, especially after last season which was so difficult for me because for six months I was not playing football, playing every match now and playing very well and I’m very happy now.”
