Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca emphasized the importance of securing narrow victories, lamenting his team’s FA Cup elimination at the hands of Brighton as a significant disappointment.
The Blues took an early lead in their fourth-round clash at the Amex Stadium, courtesy of an own goal by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen in the fifth minute. However, Chelsea failed to build on their fortunate start, with goals from Georginio Rutter and Kaoru Mitoma securing a 2-1 comeback win for the Seagulls.
Since Maresca’s appointment last summer, Chelsea have only managed one 1-0 victory, which came against Bournemouth in September.
“I’ve told the players multiple times, including tonight—we need to learn how to win 1-0,” Maresca stated. “The biggest clubs know how to do that.”
Reflecting on their FA Cup departure, Maresca added, “It’s a real shame for us. But if there’s a silver lining, it’s that we can now fully focus on the Premier League and the Europa Conference League.
“In particular, we hope to maintain our strong run in the Premier League and finish the season well.”
Chelsea’s bright start turned sour when Verbruggen mishandled Cole Palmer’s weak shot, allowing Rutter to head in an equalizer shortly after. Mitoma then struck decisively in the 57th minute to seal Brighton’s victory in this all-Premier League clash.
Without injured forwards Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, Chelsea—who have won the FA Cup eight times—struggled to create meaningful chances to force extra time.
When asked about the absence of Jackson, who sustained an injury in Monday’s 2-1 Premier League win over West Ham, Maresca noted, “Sometimes you only realize a player’s value when they’re not available.
“We’ve said before how crucial Nico is, both on and off the ball. But even without him, the game was fairly balanced.
“We started well. In the first half, they had one real shot on goal—and it went in. We controlled play and created some chances. The second half followed a similar pattern.
“After conceding the second goal, we had a few opportunities to equalize but couldn’t capitalize.”
Brighton, reeling from a 7-0 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest the previous weekend, bounced back impressively with this well-earned win.
Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler praised his team’s response: “I learned a phrase recently—just what the doctor ordered.
“It was a great reaction. After a tough week, we showed resilience. Coming back from an early setback and playing with such intensity and courage in possession made this win well deserved.”
Looking ahead to their Premier League fixture against Chelsea on Friday, Hurzeler also backed Netherlands international Verbruggen to move past his costly mistake.
“I won’t dwell on the error—mistakes happen,” the German coach said. “For goalkeepers, errors often lead directly to goals.
“But Bart is a fantastic professional. He has put in some outstanding performances for us, and he has the mental strength to recover quickly.”
