"In for another defeat", "Make it make sense" - Fans react as Pochettino names questionable Chelsea starting XI vs Brighton in EFL Cup

Chelsea fans are bemused by Mauricio Pochettino's decision to name three left-backs in his starting XI to face Brighton & Hove Albion tonight (September 27).

The Blues host high-flying Brighton in the third round of the Carabao Cup in desperate need of a good performance and a win. Pochettino's men are without a win in three games and were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa in the league on the weekend.

The Argentine coach dropped Ben Chilwell to the bench for Chelsea's loss against the Villains. Levi Colwill started at left-back before his England teammate came on in the second half.

Pochettino has drawn the ire of fans during the early stages of the season for his decision over who starts at left-back. However, he's decided to start three tonight, with Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, and Ian Maatsen all in the side.

Cucurella will make just his second appearance of the season after playing the full 90 minutes of his side's second-round win against AFC Wimbledon. The Spanish full-back has struggled since joining the west Londoners in August 2022.

Cucurella arrived from Brighton after a season in which he was named the Seagulls' Player of the Year. However, he's been unable to replicate his impressive displays at the Amex.

Cucurella gets a chance to impress tonight, as does Maatsen, who was linked with a move to Burnley in the summer. However, the young Dutchman opted to remain with the Blues and is waiting on the cusp of the first team.

Pochettino has decided to start Robert Sanchez in goal, with Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Colwill and Cucurella in defense. Moises Caicedo plays against his former side for the first time since his British record £116 million move. He's joined in midfield by Lesley Ugochukwu.

Meanwhile, Cole Palmer makes his first start for the club, with Maatsen in an advanced role along with Mykhaylo Mudryk and Nicolas Jackson. It's an intriguing lineup named by Pochettino.

Some fans are questioning his decision to start three left-backs. One fan reckons Chelsea are set to suffer another defeat:

"We are in for another defeat against Brighton this evening."

Another fan is confused by Pochettino's decision:

"We went from having no leftbacks in the starting 11 to 3 left backs starting all together. Make it make sense."

Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Chelsea's starting XI against Brighton:

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Mauricio Pochettino blames Chelsea's woeful start to the season on his toothless attackers

Nicolas Jackson has struggled to impress so far at Chelsea.

The Blues' start to the season holds similarities to their disappointing 2022-23 campaign. They finished 12th in the league and won just one of their last five league games.

Pochettino was appointed in July and there were signs that Chelsea had bounced back from last season's nightmare. However, there still remain issues for the west Londoners, particularly in front of goal. They have gone three games on the bounce without scoring.

The Argentine coach has acknowledged his attackers' lack of goalscoring potency this season. He claims his side are playing well but lack killer instinct up top (via football.london):

"We are playing well, it's only we are not clinical in front of the goal. That is what we need to fix and try to give more confidence to our offensive players. The problem is the most important thing is to score goals."

Nicolas Jackson arrived from Villarreal in the summer, with many expecting him to flourish. However, the frontman has managed just one goal in seven games across competitions.

Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling is Chelsea's current top scorer with just two goals in six games across competitions. It speaks volumes of the problems Pochettino has in attack. Many argue that spending £430.6 million this past summer should have resulted in the arrival of a world-class center forward.