Paul Merson has strongly criticised Jadon Sancho for his perceived lack of effort during Chelsea’s disappointing 3-0 defeat to Brighton. The Manchester United loanee came off the bench but made little impact, with his lack of defensive urgency contributing to Brighton’s third goal.

Merson did not hold back in his post-match analysis, calling out Sancho’s attitude:

“That last goal sums up every fan’s frustration behind the goal.

“Every fan wants to be a footballer and the one thing they will do if they had the chance is be able to run around and work hard.

“That last goal is atrocious, it’s just one-two and played off him [Sancho], and they just stand there and go: ‘Oh’.”

The former Arsenal midfielder also emphasised why such performances frustrate supporters:

He said: “That’s what winds fans up.

“When they travel to away games and they use all their hard-earned money and people [like Sancho] can’t be bothered to chase people back, that’s when fans get the hump.”

Sancho’s performance has sparked criticism, with Chelsea fans growing increasingly frustrated with his loan spell. With pressure mounting, he will need to respond quickly if he hopes to change the narrative surrounding his commitment.