Gabriel Agbonlahor tells Enzo Maresca exactly how it is at Chelsea, ‘boring’ observation made

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Chelsea’s 2024/25 campaign hangs in the balance going into the crunch weeks of the season.

Chelsea are down to sixth in the Premier League table after Sunday’s 2-2 draw at home to Ipswich Town, so they’re now up against it in the race for Champions League qualification. In addition, the Blues are still competing and the favourites to win the Conference League trophy.

In the aftermath of the Ipswich draw, the Chelsea manager has come under fire for real criticism. The main reason is because Italian head coach Enzo Maresca voiced his displeasure with the club’s fanbase, who were quite vocal with their anger towards the team’s commitment to playing out from the back.

Maresca criticised the environment at Stamford Bridge from the Chelsea fans in the Ipswich result.

• READ MORE: Ian Wright says exactly how Chelsea’s owners will be feeling about Enzo Maresca right now

Gabriel Agbonlahor claims Chelsea play ‘boring’ football under Enzo Maresca

Gabriel Agbonlahor claims Chelsea supporters have every right to boo the team, especially when they’re behind against an Ipswich side destined for relegation. The talkSPORT pundit added that the Blues now play a “boring” brand of football under Maresca.

Agbonlahor told talkSPORT: “I think when it’s not working they should be able to have a voice. You look at this Chelsea team, £1.2b this team was created, Ipswich just over £100m, and you’re losing 2-0 at half time at home when you’re desperate to get back in the Champions League… Can you blame the fans?

“Chelsea’s football – when you watch it, it’s so boring. Players staying in the exact right positions they’ve been put in, no freedom. When it’s not working, I don’t blame the fans when they’re moaning. Stop playing from the back when we’re not getting through.”

Even though a section of supporters are agitated right now, Chelsea aren’t planning on sacking Maresca.

The Blues have six top-flight games left to get themselves back into the Premier League’s top five positions, which will secure qualification for next season’s Champions League, but the upcoming fixtures look really tough on paper.

Chelsea have lost attacking spark in 2025

If you look at the attacking numbers this season, they highlight the fact that Chelsea’s forward line has dropped off in a big way.

The Blues looked extremely dangerous team in attack during the first half of the season, but they’ve found it a lot more difficult in 2025 to blow teams away in the same fashion. As a result, they’re dropping a lot more points and now scraping for the Champions League spots.

The fact that Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson had five shots off target against Ipswich highlights a big problem right now. On top of that, Cole Palmer hasn’t scored since mid-January as the goals dry up for some key figures.