Mauricio Pochettino provides spiky response on decision to drop Thiago Silva for Chelsea's clash with Aston Villa after Brazilian's wife appeared to call for his sacking... as he claims he only picks his team on 'performance and balance'

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino provided a spiky response when questioned on his decision to bench Thiago Silva for their FA Cup tie against Aston Villa.

Silva has been a major talking point since Sunday's dire 4-2 defeat to Wolves at Stamford Bridge, after his wife Isabelle seemingly appeared to call for Pochettino's head on social media.

Posting on X after the final whistle, she said: 'It’s time to change. If you wait any longer it will be too late.'

She has since apologised for her controversial post, blaming her 'outburst' on being 'passionate' and 'saddened by defeats', while insisting all she wants is a 'winning Chelsea team'.

Silva had played the full 90 minutes against Wolves and scored a late consolation, but he was dropped to the bench for the clash with Villa, as Pochettino picked Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi at centre back instead. 

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino provided a spiky response when questioned on his decision to bench Thiago Silva for their FA Cup tie against Aston Villa on Wednesday

And, speaking ahead of the game, Pochettino was pressed on his decision and seemed to be less than impressed.

'Why the question?,' he responded to ITV's Gabriel Clarke. 'I am professional and a coach and I always pick my players because of performance and balance.

'I think I understand the question but I want to be calm because I need to be professional and I always make my decisions because of the professional side.' 

When questioned again on the topic, he spikily added: 'My answer was clear, no?'

Pochettino revealed at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday that Silva spoke to him personally after Isabelle's social media post in a bid to ensure there was no tension between the pair.

Pochettino refused to discuss the nature of their conversation, describing it as a 'private' matter that was handled before training.

'He came today to talk with me,’ he said. ‘I am not going to talk in the way we were talking. The important thing is he came and wanted to talk with me.

‘He knows me after more than 10 years, who I am, we are a very strong coaching staff and the way we operate. Of course he came to talk. We talked. It was private. And that's it.’

Speaking pre-match, Pochettino also discussed the challenge Villa would pose, along with the pressure he was facing, as he said: 'Now we have to win every game. I understand all the situation but today is a different competition. Against a very good team 

'We are in the final of the Carabao Cup but now we need to accept that too many (bad) things happen and we need to be calm and compete today. 

'It will be tough but we are convinced we can compete today.'