Maurizio Sarri admitted his concern as Chelsea crashed to their heaviest defeat in almost 28 years and gave an equivocal answer when asked about his future.
The Italian’s position as Blues manager is likely to come under further scrutiny after they were routed 6-0 at Manchester City less than two weeks on from a shock 4-0 thumping away to Bournemouth.
Sandwiched between those two heavy losses was a 5-0 win over Huddersfield at Stamford Bridge last weekend and Sarri revealed the discrepancy between home and away results has left him bewildered.
He made an encouraging start to his tenure as Chelsea were unbeaten after their first 12 Premier League matches under him this season, but they have faded out of title contention and now face a battle to finish in the top four.
When asked whether he fears being sacked, Sarri replied: “I don’t know, you have to ask the club.
“I am worried about my team, I am worried about the performance but my job is always at risk so I am not worried about the club. You have to ask the club.
“I didn’t see my football (against City). At the beginning (of the season) it worked. So now we need only to understand the reasons why at the moment it isn’t working. We need to understand the reasons.
“It is not easy. At the beginning, we played better away than at home. Now we are playing better at home than away.
“Something is changing. At the moment I am not able to see the reason but I have to work for this because my target is to play my football, not to change another football because at the moment we are playing another football.”
The setback at the Etihad Stadium was Chelsea’s worst result since a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Nottingham Forest in April 1991.
City boss Pep Guardiola empathises with his counterpart, pointing to his own occasional difficulties in implementing his ideas when he first arrived in the north-west three years ago.
The Spaniard said: “I know exactly what he wants to do. This kind of person or this type of game always helps to make our football better. He wants to try to do that.
“People don’t understand how difficult the first year can be. Mine was difficult too. People expect with a new manager and buying players it comes immediately, but it needs time.”
Sergio Aguero’s 11th Premier League hat-trick equalled Alan Shearer’s record, Raheem Sterling bagged a brace while Ilkay Gundogan was also on the score-sheet as City moved back to the top of the table in scintillating fashion.
The victory was City’s third in the space of eight days since a surprise defeat at Newcastle, leaving Guardiola understandably delighted.
He said: “The players were outstanding. I just said to them thank you for what they have done.
“After Newcastle we spoke to each other and put ourselves in front of a mirror, and accepted the reality. After that we worked, moved forward.
“We are there, we are the leaders, but Liverpool have one more game (in hand).”
