"Absolute nonsense, This here is their bread and butter" - Pundit believes Chelsea have gotten 'carried away' with Club World Cup triumph

Pundit Craig Burley has hit out at Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca following the Blues' defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion. The West London giants lost their second consecutive Premier League game after seeing a player sent off.

They suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester United after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez saw a straight red card early in the game. They led 1-0 when Trevoh Chalobah was sent off against Brighton on Sunday, September 27 and once again suffered a defeat.

Danny Welbeck scored a brace for the Seagulls while Maxim De Cuyper also found the back of the net. Craig Burley slammed Chelsea after the game and insisted that they need to find a way to grind out a result, even if they are one man down.

He has claimed that the Blues have got carried away by their FIFA Club World Cup triumph. The former Scotland international said, as quoted by ESPN:

"They've not figured out how to be tough to beat when you are down to 10 men...In adversity, you have to learn how to grind out results. We saw it at United last week, the manager had a panic up and made sub after sub. They have to learn how to galvanize themselves and try and nick a result....This is a Chelsea side that got carried away with the powder puff Club World Cup."

Burley added:

"Absolute nonsense, This here is their bread and butter, this is what will define their manager, the PL. So he can forget all that CWC nonsense, this is the crux of how their season will be defined and whether he will be in a job. The early signs are they are creaking and cracking under the pressure."

Maresca has been subject to criticism for his substitutions after his side went down to ten men. Chelsea now find themselves eighth in the table with eight points in six games and trail league leaders Liverpool by seven points.

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Jamie Carragher slams Chelsea for their transfer policy under Todd Boehly

Pundit Jamie Carragher has criticised Chelsea's transfer strategy under Todd Boehly. The former Liverpool defender has written in The Telegraph that winning trophies does not appear to be a priority for the club. Carragher wrote on his column:

"Chelsea have achieved the near impossible since Roman Abramovich sold up. They have spent £1.5bn to transform themselves from serial winners of major trophies to serial project managers. The club who once sent fear through their Premier League rivals with their determination to win big prizes right here, right now, appear to be preoccupied with building for the future."

He added:

"Chelsea should be title contenders and considered Champions League challengers this season. Instead, their hierarchy seems content to be praised for being the smartest recruiters in the business – the world’s richest development club. It is a head-scratcher as to how anyone can spend so much over the past three years and still come into another season with relatively modest ambitions and expectations upon them."

Chelsea have spent around £2 billion since Todd Boehly-led Clearlake Capital took over at the club in 2022. Skipper Reece James is the only player left in the squad from their Champions League-winning squad in 2020-21. The Blues have signed a plethora of young players since the takeover but they have not quite become a force to reckon with in English football.