LONDON -- Liam Rosenior said Chelsea have "a mountain to climb" to qualify for the Champions League after they lost 1-0 to Manchester United on Saturday.
Matheus Cunha scored with United's only shot on target at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea suffered a fourth straight Premier League defeat without scoring for the first time since March 1998.
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The result leaves Rosenior's team sixth in the table, four points behind fifth-place Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
"It gives us a mountain to climb," said Rosenior.
"It's not insurmountable, but it gives us a mountain to climb and we have to go into Brighton [on Tuesday] with an idea that we have to win that game and kick-start the rest of our season."
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior pats Cole Palmer on the head their defeat to Manchester United. Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images It was a different story for Michael Carrick and United, who cemented their place in the Champions League spots with five games to go.
The performance was even more impressive given Carrick was forced to field a makeshift centre-back pairing of Ayden Heaven and Noussair Mazraoui because of injuries and suspensions.
"It was a big important win for us tonight," said Carrick.
"Coming through the suspensions and the injuries and Leny [Yoro] pulling out quite late and having to adapt.
"The boys take so much credit for that, and the coaches, in terms of putting the plant together and adapting over the last couple of days and making sure everyone was in a good place.
"There's a lot of things to be proud of tonight."