Former Premier League striker Dimitar Berbatov believes Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino could be sacked this evening if he fails to beat Aston Villa.
The two teams are set to meet in an FA Cup Fourth Round replay at Villa Park following a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.
While Chelsea are still in contention to win the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, the team's league form has been underwhelming after another summer of big spending with the club currently sitting in eleventh place.
The team's domestic woes continued this past weekend when they were beaten 4-2 by Wolverhampton Wanderers who moved above Chelsea in the table.
Frustration is already brewing amongst the Chelsea fanbase and if they fail to win any silverware or at least secure European football, there will be calls from some for a change in manager.
Speaking to Betfair, Berbatov claims that Pochettino's time at the club could be up sooner rather than later.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Chelsea sacked Mauricio Pochettino. Chelsea have spent so much money on players - they have good players in the team - but obviously it's not working out," Berbatov said.
"The last game against Wolves, when Chelsea lost 4-2 at Stamford Bridge, was a prime example of the chaos that's happening on the pitch. You can see Chelsea are lost, at times, and don't know what to do. Of course, you can't get rid of the whole team.
"The manager is always the first to go. Pochettino always tried to say that Chelsea was a long-term project, but in modern football, the owners of clubs don't have that patience. If Chelsea lose the next game, I think Pochettino will get sacked."
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