ENZO Maresca dismissed the idea that Chelsea missed Joao Felix in their 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Maresca started with Christopher Nkunku up front in the absence of the injured Nicolas Jackson. Maresca didn’t have much attacking experience on the bench, with Noni Madueke and eighteen-year-old Tyrique George introduced in the second half.
The Blues went in front at the Amex Stadium when Cole Palmer forced a mistake and own goal from keeper Bart Verbruggen in the fifth minute.
Georginio Rutter levelled in the twelfth minute and Kaoru Mitoma put the Seagulls ahead on 57 minutes.
Felix, a £45million summer signing from Atletico Madrid, joined AC Milan on loan in the January transfer window. Maresca was asked in the post-match press conference if it would be a ‘regret’ letting him go.
“I don’t think we miss Joao,” Maresca said. “Joao is happy there and we are happy Joao is happy there. The only thing I can say is no one would predict on deadline day we had two strikers injured. This is something that is difficult to think. It unfortunately happened but we have Nico to be back very soon.
“Sometimes I think you need to play games without players to realise how important they are. We said many times about Nico, he is important on and off the ball. Off the ball, his intensity is very good and on the ball, he is always a threat.
“Over all, even without Nico, the game was both. We started the game very good. In the first half, probably the only shot on goal they had was the goal. We controlled, we created some chances and the second half, more or less it happened the same, probably the only shot on goal was the second goal.
“We had a few chances to draw and we missed. Now, if there is something good after a defeat [it] is now we can be focused on the Premier League and Conference [League].”
Chelsea have dropped away from a potential title challenge and their only other chance for a domestic trophy has evaporated.
“For sure, it is a shame, no doubt,” Maresca said. “We see how complicated this competition is. We see big clubs against Championship, League One, how difficult this competition is. It is a big shame for us but probably, as I said, if there is something positive it is that we can be focused on the Premier League and Conference, especially in the Premier League.
“Hopefully we can continue our journey there that, for me has been very, very good until now and hopefully we can finish well.
“For me, a good season is seeing the team improving game after game, go through bad moments through difficulty – it is the only thing I think that can bring this club to compete for something important. This is exactly what I think.
“As I said, we can now be focused on the Premier League and Conference. Hopefully we can finish in the right way.”
Chelsea haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last eight games against Premier League opposition.
“We need to learn how to win a game 1-0, I’ve said many times. No doubt,” Maresca said. “But in the same way, the last game against West Ham, we were losing 1-0 and then we went 2-1. It’s part of the season, part of football. Sometimes you are down and you win and sometimes it happens like tonight.
“For sure, I’ve said to the players weeks ago and tonight, in terms of the team, we need to learn how to win sometimes 1-0.
“That is what big clubs do, they do that.”
Reece James missed the defeat. Maresca explained: “It was planned. He is okay. He is training, it was just to protect him a little bit to avoid injury again.”
Chelsea are at Brighton again on Friday in the Premier League.
