Chelsea's FA Cup journey ended in a 2-1 defeat to Brighton, with manager Enzo Maresca highlighting Nicolas Jackson's imminent return and Reece James's planned absence. Despite early lead through Palmer, Brighton's comeback leaves Chelsea focusing on Premier League and Conference League campaigns. Maresca emphasizes team development over immediate results.
Chelsea were knocked out of the FA Cup fourth round after losing 2-1 to Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Despite taking an early lead through Cole Palmer capitalizing on a goalkeeper error, Brighton equalized through Georginio Rutter and later secured victory with a Kaoru Mitoma goal.
Maresca highlighted several key points in his post-match comments:
The absence of striker Nicolas Jackson was notable, with Maresca acknowledging his importance both on and off the ball. He indicated Jackson's return from injury should be relatively soon, possibly for the next game.
Regarding Reece James' absence, Maresca explained it was a planned decision to protect him from potential re-injury, noting that James is training well. The manager addressed Chelsea's pattern of losing leads, emphasizing that the team needs to learn how to secure 1-0 victories, though he noted that such fluctuations are part of football and the season's development.
Looking ahead, Maresca framed the FA Cup exit as an opportunity to focus on their remaining competitions - the Premier League and Conference League. When asked about what would constitute a successful season, he emphasized the importance of seeing continuous team improvement through both good and difficult periods. He defended his substitution choices during the match and dismissed concerns about loaned-out players like Joao Felix, stating that the Portuguese player is happy at his current club and that Chelsea are content with that situation.
