Enzo Maresca’s Comments After Chelsea’s FA Cup Exit May Annoy Fans
Enzo Maresca seemed to downplay the significance of Chelsea’s FA Cup exit after their 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Saturday night.
Chelsea took an early lead through an own goal from Bart Verbruggen, but Brighton quickly responded with Georginio Rutter’s equaliser. Kaoru Mitoma then scored in the 57th minute to give Brighton the win.
The Blues are now in danger of going three seasons without a trophy. Their last piece of silverware was the Club World Cup in early 2022, after winning the Champions League the previous year under Thomas Tuchel.
Despite the disappointing result, Maresca chose to focus on the positives. While acknowledging that exiting the FA Cup is a ‘shame’, the Italian coach said, “If there is something good after a defeat, it is that now we can be focused on the Premier League and Conference League.”
Chelsea’s focus will now be on a top-four finish in the Premier League, especially as their chances of competing for the title have faded since the turn of the year. Currently, they trail Liverpool by 13 points with a game in hand.
Maresca’s main chance of silverware in his first season with Chelsea now lies in the UEFA Conference League. The team topped the group stage with a perfect record, but tougher opponents await in the knockout rounds.
After Chelsea’s failure to hold onto leads against Brighton, Manchester City, and Bournemouth, Maresca wants his players to learn how to grind out difficult wins.
