"19 games, zero goals" - Gabby Agbonlahor rips into 'absolutely useless' Chelsea attacker after 1-0 Forest defeat
Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor slammed Chelsea winger Mykhaylo Mudryk's performance in the Blues' 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday (September 2).
The Ukraine international was introduced in the 77th minute after Mauricio Pochettino's men fell behind to an Anthony Elanga goal in the 48th minute. The winger came on for defender Malo Gusto but failed to make an impact.
Addressing the player's performance, Agbonlahor said (via The Chelsea Chronicle):
"Mudryk come on, he nearly gave away two goals. Like honestly, he was absolutely useless. He’s had 19 games, zero goals."
The 22-year-old has had a tough time since joining Stamford Bridge from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023. The Blues paid a reported fee of £88.5m to acquire his services.
Having pipped Arsenal to Mudryk's signing, Chelsea are yet to see the best of the player. So far, he's made 19 appearances across all competitions without finding the back of the net.
Mudryk currently finds himself behind Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell in the pecking order, who operate as the widest players for the Blues. The youngster is still looking for his first start in the 2023/24 campaign.
"We were not clinical enough in the last third"- Mauricio Pochettino on reason for Chelsea loss against Nottingham Forest
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino pointed out the reason behind the Blues' 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday (September 02). Despite creating chances, the former Tottenham Hotspur manager believes his side weren't clinical in the final third.
The west London outfit registered 21 shots but failed to sufficiently test Matt Turner in the Nottingham Forest goal, managing just two shots on target. Pochettino said after the match (via Football London):
"I think today we create chances, we dominate the game but we were not clinical enough in the last third. We should score, if you want to win and we made one mistake and concede. Not frustrated but disappointed because in this process you need luck. I don't want to take credit from Nottingham Forest."
Striker Nicolas Jackson missed the best chance of the game. He fired over the crossbar from close range after Raheem Sterling's cutback in the 83rd minute. Chelsea sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table, having secured four points from as many games.