Carlo Ancelotti ‘disappointed’ but maintains Everton defeat to Chelsea is ‘no tragedy’

The Toffees lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in a setback to their hopes of top four finish

Carlo Ancelotti gestures on the touchline (Getty)

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti conceded he was “disappointed” by his side’s loss to Chelsea but maintained it was “no tragedy”.

The Toffees fell 2-0 to Thomas Tuchel’s side in the Premier League on Monday night, in a blow to their hopes of a top four finish, though they still have a game in hand on the Blues, who are four points ahead in fourth.

But after a Ben Godfrey own goal and a second-half penalty from Jorginho, which saw the Toffees slip to sixth, after West Ham’s win over Leeds, the Italian was frank about his side’s current level.

“They played better than us and deserved to win,” Ancelotti told BT Sport. “We were good defensively for 30 minutes. When they scored, the game became difficult for us.

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“The game that we planned was what we got for 30 minutes. We didn’t have a lot of opportunities.

“But we have to be honest, we are not at the same level. We cannot play an open game against this kind of team.”

“We are looking to fight for Europe. This is good for us. We are disappointed for this defeat but no tragedy. We look to the next game.”

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The Toffees will look to bounce back at home to Burnley, while the priority will soon switch towards the FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City next weekend, with Ancelotti targeting the club’s first silverware in 26 years, when they beat Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in the same competition.