Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca made five changes for his side’s Premier League encounter with Ipswich Town on Monday.
Filip Jorgensen, Axel Disasi, Joao Felix, Noni Madueke and Christopher Nkunku all came into the team.
However, the decision to make all of those changes backfired, with Chelsea going on to lose the match 2-0.
The Chelsea team in general performed quite poorly, but one individual really had a game to forget and did very little to convince Maresca that he should be starting more often.
Christopher Nkunku did not do enough to displace Nicolas Jackson
Nicolas Jackson has been Chelsea’s first-choice striker this season, and this defeat to Ipswich has arguably shown why.
Maresca gave Nkunku a rare start and the chance to show why he should be leading the line for the Blues. However, the Frenchman failed his audition spectacularly.
Out of all the outfield Chelsea players who started the match, Nkunku had the fewest touches. He also wasted a glorious opportunity in the first half after failing to convert Cole Palmer’s rebound.
| Christopher Nkunku vs Ipswich | Total |
| Minutes played | 65 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Big chances missed | 1 |
| Touches | 34 |
| Succesful dribbles | 0 |
Based on that showing, the Frenchman will not be ousting Jackson out of the team any time soon.
He will not settle for a bench role forever, though. It has already been claimed that Nkunku could push to leave Chelsea in January.
How Chelsea fans reacted to Christopher Nkunku’s performance against Ipswich Town
While Maresca has shown this season that he is not afraid to call out his players in public — just ask Madueke — Nkunku did not face that wrath after Monday’s defeat.
Some Chelsea supporters, though, were not as forgiving as Maresca. They took to X to show just how unhappy they were with Nkunku after his display.
One Chelsea fan made it clear that he wants the 27-year-old out, saying: “Sell Disasi and Nkunku on January 1.”
Another Chelsea supporter echoed that thought. They said: “Nkunku leave my club, please.”
Another fan simply did not hold back, describing Nkunku as an “absolute passenger”.
One other user said Nkunku needs to be one of the first players to leave the club. They posted: “Nkunku and Disasi have to be the first two out the door in January. Embarrassing.”
That was Chelsea’s second consecutive defeat in the Premier League, so it is no surprise to see supporters tearing into the team.
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