RAHEEM STERLING ISN'T THE ONLY STAR POCHETTINO MUST AXE FROM HIS CHELSEA XI

Chelsea have been one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the country this season, although that mainly stems from the unpredictability of their results and performances.

Mauricio Pochettino's side provided the entertainment once again on Sunday afternoon, squeaking past a stubborn Leicester City side in a thrilling FA Cup quarter-final that ended 4-2 in their favour.

However, while the Blues were generally the better side throughout and deserved the win, there were a couple of starters who might have played themselves out of the lineup for the next game, with one of them being Raheem Sterling.

The former Liverpool prospect has been struggling of late in West London, and yesterday's encounter was no different, although he certainly wasn't the only one.

Raheem Sterling's performance vs Leicester City

It was another tough day at the office for the Englishman on Sunday afternoon as, despite providing the assist for Cole Palmer's goal in the first half, he left the pitch to a chorus of boos from his own supporters.

The former Manchester City ace struggled throughout the match, missing a penalty that would have seen the team go two goals up within the first 30 minutes, taking maybe the worst free-kick of the season, and generally looking ineffective in attack.

It may sound harsh, but it's an opinion shared by the Standard's Nizaar Kinsella, who awarded the 29-year-old a 4/10 match rating on the day and heavily criticised him for both the penalty miss and abysmal free kick.

While those are the moments that'll stick out to most fans, the Kingston-born ace's underlying numbers from the game were also poor. In his 86 minutes of action, he completed just 13 passes, missed two big chances, was successful in just one of his four attempted dribbles, won just four of his ten duels, lost possession 14 times and misplaced his one long ball.

In all, it was a shocking performance from a player who should be stepping up and showing his younger teammates how it's done, and with how well Noni Madueke played when he replaced him - scoring from the bench - it's time Pochettino took Sterling out of the starting lineup.

That said, there was another starter for Chelsea who should be dropped for the next game, a player who very nearly cost the Blues the tie.

Axel Disasi's performance vs Leicester City

Yes, the other starter who should be taken out of the side for the clash against Burnley in just under a fortnight is French centre-back Axel Disasi.

The former AS Monaco man had an odd game, as his first-half display was rather indifferent, but his 30-yard own goal in the 51st minute turned the game on its head and allowed the Foxes back in, an opportunity they happily took, scoring the equaliser just 11 minutes later.

Unsurprisingly, this lapse in concentration - to put it kindly - is what stood out from the 26-year-old's game, with the Standard's Kinsella awarding him a 4/10 on the day and claiming that 'his game will be remembered for a moment of madness.'

However, much like Sterling, the 6 foot 3 star's overall game was also shoddy. In his 98 minutes on the pitch, he won just two of his six duels, was dribbled past twice, lost possession 11 times, was accurate in just five of his 12 attempted longballs, and committed one foul.

In all, even without the spectacular own goal, it was a performance to forget from Disasi, and with Thiago Silva fit enough for the bench, it might be time for Pochettino to drop him from the starting lineup against Burnley, alongside Sterling.

2024-03-19T00:44:45Z dg43tfdfdgfd