Maresca Decries Chelsea’s FA Cup Exit as Major Setback

London, England —  Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has expressed deep disappointment over the club’s elimination from the FA Cup, labeling it a major setback.

The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against Brighton, despite initially taking the lead. Cole Palmer provided the breakthrough when his volleyed cross was mishandled by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, resulting in an own goal.

However, the visitors responded swiftly. Georginio Rutter headed in Joel Veltman’s cross to equalize before turning provider for Kaoru Mitoma, who cleverly lifted the ball over Robert Sanchez, Chelsea’s former shot-stopper, to seal Brighton’s comeback victory.

Controversy surrounded the winning goal, as replays showed the ball had struck Tariq Lamptey’s arm in the buildup. Despite Chelsea’s protests, the goal stood, compounding their misery.

Speaking after the match, Maresca lamented his team’s inability to grind out narrow victories, a hallmark of elite clubs.

“I told the players weeks ago, and I repeated it again tonight: sometimes, we need to learn how to win 1-0,” he stated. “Big teams know how to do that. This is a huge disappointment for us.”

Attempting to find a silver lining, Maresca emphasized the need to shift focus to other competitions.

“If there’s one positive, it’s that we can now concentrate on the Premier League and the Conference League,” he added. “We’ve been progressing well in the league, and hopefully, we can maintain our momentum.”

Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League campaign remains a potential pathway to securing silverware this season, offering a chance for redemption after their domestic cup exit.

By Enoch Odesola |February 9, 2025