Malo Gusto has blasted Chelsea’s first-half performance against Lincoln City on Tuesday evening, admitting the League One side “bullied” the world champions.
Chelsea trailed at the break during their Carabao Cup third round clash with the Imps, but Tyrique George starred in the second half with a goal and assist that ensured a 2–1 victory for Enzo Maresca’s side.
The Italian manager was quick to criticise his team’s first-half display against Lincoln after the full-time whistle. The Blues had 78% possession before the break but managed just three shots to their opponents’ nine—none of Chelsea’s efforts being on target.
Blues defender Gusto was similarly emphatic in his assessment of their performance at the LNER Stadium, labelling their first-half display “really bad.”
“Of course, in the first half we played like kids,” said the Frenchman. “They bullied us in every part of the pitch. It was really bad for us.
“The second half was important to come back with more desire, more confidence. It is important for the team to keep building these kinds of things to become better.
“We knew they were going to play like this. It was their qualities, so they played with that. We were aware before of that. It was the game. The game was about duels, fighting. That is why we tried to do more in the second half to show our desire to win, and that is what we did.”
Chelsea were knocked out in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup last season and will be aiming to go deeper into the competition this term. They have been drawn against Premier League strugglers Wolverhampton Wanderers away from home in the next round.
The shoddy showing against Lincoln is merely the latest in a line of uninspiring performances for Maresca’s side. The Blues were similarly insipid in a draw with Brentford a fortnight ago, lost meekly to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and were architects of their own spectacular downfall against Manchester United last weekend.
Next up for the west London outfit is a Brighton & Hove Albion side which have already taken points off Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City this season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘They Bullied Us’—Chelsea Star Slams Performance Amid Worrying Run of Form.
