Chelsea’s FA Cup journey came to a disappointing end as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Brighton in the fourth round, prompting harsh criticism from former player Craig Burley. The Blues took an early lead through Cole Palmer’s fortunate goal but failed to capitalize, allowing Georginio Rutter to equalize before Kaoru Mitoma’s second-half strike sealed their exit. The result piled more pressure on Enzo Maresca’s side, who struggled to impose themselves despite dominating possession.
Christopher Nkunku, who led the line in the absence of Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, found himself at the center of the post-match scrutiny. The French forward managed just one touch inside Brighton’s penalty area and missed a crucial opportunity when played through by Moises Caicedo, opting to pass instead of taking the shot. His ineffective display led Burley to brand him a “total waste of money” during an analysis on ESPN.
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Steve Sidwell, another former Chelsea player, suggested Nkunku’s lack of confidence was due to his limited game time. However, Burley was far more scathing in his assessment, criticizing not only Nkunku’s performance but also Chelsea’s overall attacking approach. He claimed the team lacked a cutting edge and that their possession-heavy style failed to translate into meaningful chances.
Burley further compared Chelsea’s struggles to previous underwhelming spells under Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, and Thomas Tuchel, accusing the team of playing a slow, ineffective brand of football. He pointed out that Chelsea enjoyed 57% possession against Brighton but failed to do anything significant with it, describing their play as uninspiring and directionless.
The defeat raised fresh concerns about Chelsea’s ability to compete at the highest level, with their inconsistency continuing to frustrate fans and pundits alike. With expectations high for the club, Burley’s comments reflected growing dissatisfaction over their lack of progress despite significant investment in the squad.
