Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea’s owners must look past their disappointment and back him to implement the plan he was hired to draw up in order to lift the club out of their slump. Defeat to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday means the team have taken an average of 0.85 points per game over the last 35 matches, three short of a full league season. Over a single campaign they would have won 32 points, a tally that would have seen them relegated in every Premier League season since the league became 38 games in 1995, and would have left them bottom of the table in five of them. That run goes back to October 19 last year when the team, then managed by Graham Potter, drew 0-0 away at Brentford. Pochettino is the fourth manager to have led the side in that period, with Potter having been removed on April 2 and Frank Lampard taking over until the end of the campaign, with a single game in charge for caretaker boss Bruno Saltor. Despite the turnover of coaches, the Blues have won only six times in the league in the 11 months since, drawing 12, giving them a return of 30 points from 35 games. The squad assembled by co-owner Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium at a cost of more than £1billion over the last 16 months are currently 14th in the table after six games and have not scored in 285 minutes of play. Pochettino encouraged supporters to keep faith and focus on the quality of recent performances rather than the club’s relegation form over the last year. “It’s about learning, it’s about the process,” he said after Ollie Watkins’ second-half goal for Villa condemned his side to their third loss of the season. “We are a young team (in) a process that they need to learn all together. It’s difficult to talk about positives because when you lose it’s difficult, but we need to talk about positive things. “No doubt that with time the team is going to perform, but of course now we cannot hide the situation. It’s a situation that disappoints all the fans, the club, us and the players. “They (the owners) are disappointed, they arrive to the club and (were) so excited to build some project. Of course they feel disappointed, but at the same time they need to support the plan.” If there was a bright spot for Chelsea it was the return of striker Armando Broja after nine months out with an ACL injury. The Albania international came off the bench in the second half and headed wide in the closing minutes as the team sought an equaliser. “It was good to see Broja after nine, 10 months,” said Pochettino. “Again I think to have the possibility to have different options is good for the team. But he needs to build his confidence also.” Watkins’ goal was his first in the league this season and the striker admitted it was a weight off his shoulders. “The first one is always hard to get,” Watkins told VillaTV. “I’m delighted to get off the mark now. “It’s a bit of a relief, really, because the more the games go by, there’s a lot of talk and pressure. “But I just try and block that out and I back myself in front of goal no matter what anyone says. “I’m looking forward to the games coming up now and plenty more goals for the season.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Hooker Johnny Matthews is a perfectly able deputy for Scotland – John Dalziel Axed Jason Roy urged to remain positive with World Cup role still a possibility ECB unable to commit to equal pay targets for England men and women

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Lauren Boebert hit out at unsubstantiated claims that she was in a romantic relationship with a pro-Trump country singer following her divorce from her longtime husband. The hard-right congresswoman told The Daily Beast that there was "absolutely nothing romantic" between her and Christian strummer Sean Feucht, nor had there ever been. "How can I be with a man with better hair than me?" she quipped, referring to Mr Feucht's chest-length mane of blond curls. For his part, Mr Feucht called the claims "false and defamatory", threatening to sue anyone making the accusation. Ms Boebert, a staunch conservative and outspoken Christian who represents Colorado in the US House of Representatives, filed for divorce from her husband Jayson Boebert last week after more than 15 years together. Rumours immediately began circulating on Twitter that she had begun romancing Mr Feucht, but those peddling the claim gave no evidence to support it. Asked for comment on Monday, Ms Boebert said: "“There is absolutely nothing romantic between Sean Feucht and I, nor has there been. "He is a wonderful friend, and he and I have done a lot of events together. His wife is wonderful, and we have had worship in the [US Capitol] rotunda... "I have been very, very transparent with my personal life since I started campaigning. And I think there are a lot of politicians who are not transparent. "They just give the sweet, pretty pieces of their life – and I have been raw in the details of my upbringing and what I have been through, and the challenges my husband and I have faced over the years." Since 2020, Mr Feucht has campaigned vigorously against Covid lockdown measures, leading a protest movement called Let Us Worship and running as a Republican for one of California's seats in the US House. He is a strong supporter of former president Donald Trump, whom he believes has been unfairly persecuted and who once signed an American flag guitar for him. According to the Beast, Ms Boebert also blamed the rumours on "the Left" and said there were no skeletons in her closet. Read More GOP Rep Clay Higgins filmed shoving activist who questioned Lauren Boebert’s divorce Lauren Boebert denies claim husband flew into rage after being served divorce papers E Jean Carroll targets Trump again after his derogatory CNN town hall smears E Jean Carroll targets Trump again after his derogatory CNN town hall smears Nebraska senators shield sick colleague brought from hospital to pass abortion ban Pride events cancelled across Florida due to ‘climate of fear’ after anti-LGBT+ laws

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