Gus Poyet and Eniola Aluko criticised Callum Hudson-Odoi after Chelsea’s frustrating draw with Brighton in the Premier League.
Blues striker Romelu Lukaku put Chelsea ahead with a towering header at Stamford Bridge and Hudson-Odoi had a glorious chance to put the game to bed in the second half.
The England international was played through by Lukaku and was bearing down on goal with Mason Mount in support.
Deciding not to shoot, Hudson-Odoi tried to find Mount in the box but his attempt was poor and comfortably intercepted by a Brighton defender.
Graham Potter’s Seagulls threatened Edouard Mendy’s Chelsea goal regularly in the second half and finally found an equaliser in extra-time courtesy of Danny Welbeck.
Chelsea’s inability to double their lead was clearly a significant moment in the match and both Poyet and Aluko criticised Hudson-Odoi for not converting his chance.
‘At this level you’ve got to be better,’ former Chelsea forward Aluko told Amazon Prime.
‘It’s a 2 v 1 situation, maybe he needs to release it quicker. But you’ve got to make that pass, you have to make that pass.
‘That’s the difference potentially between winning the game and getting a sickening equaliser at the end and drawing the game.’
Poyet, who spent four seasons at Chelsea during his playing days, added: ‘I’m surprised he [Hudson-Odoi] needed to pass. It’s not like he tried to pass over the defender or around him.
‘He hit the defender straight away. That’s very strange. Normally you miss that pass in behind because the other player is too far ahead of you or you try to play it too clever.
‘He didn’t do one or the other. He just hit the defender. Very strange.’
Chelsea’s draw leaves them eight points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, who won their eighth game in a row on Wednesday night at Brentford.
Following City’s 1-0 win in west London, Pep Guardiola said: ‘The important thing is that we stay stable and get results and play good. There are some games when the opponent decide to make an incredible high pressing.
‘It will be difficult. Men to men. When they decide to set back this way, with literally 11 players in the 18 yard box we need to be patient.’
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