Pep Guardiola is to blame for Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea exit, claims former Premier League star in bizarre theory

PEP GUARDIOLA is the reason Mauricio Pochettino was sacked by Chelsea.

That is according to one interesting take from a Premier League icon.

GettyDid Pep Guardiola cause Mauricio Pochettino’s demise?[/caption]

Willie VassRobbie Fowler has a bizarre theory[/caption]

Pochettino got off to an awful start at Chelsea but finished the season with five wins on the bounce to finish sixth.

Recovering to secure European football with an injury-ravaged squad meant that many felt Poch, 52, deserved another crack.

But Robbie Fowler, 49, thinks Guardiola has raised the bar so high that trigger-happy owners cannot help but pull the trigger.

Writing for The Mirror, he said: “If an owner sees their team quickly becoming a fading dot in City’s rearview mirror then the temptation to make a change is obvious.‌

“Unfortunately, more and more of them are unable to resist the impulse to sack the manager and give someone else a go.

“Chelsea owner Todd Boehly obviously felt that after lavishing more than £1billion in the transfer market, he deserved more bang for his buck.

“So Pochettino was toast, despite qualifying for Europe with a sixth-placed finish after five successive wins and just one defeat in 14.”

Chelsea also made the FA Cup semi-finals and Carabao Cup final, where they lost 1-0 to Liverpool.

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Fowler revealed he was next to Frank Lampard at an awards do when the news was announced and said the Blues icon could not believe it.

SunSport exclusively revealed that Chelsea have held talks with Leicester boss Enzo Maresca.

The Italian is one of three leading candidates for the role, alongside Ipswich’s Kieran McKenna and Brentford‘s Thomas Frank.

Blues chiefs want to have a manager in place by the end of next week as they plot their summer transfer plans.

Chelsea have already identified Burnley keeper and England hopeful James Trafford as a target.