Enzo Maresca should be sick of the sight of Kaoru Mitoma. Every week after he despatched them tumbling out of the FA Cup, a panoramic piece of management from the Japan winger to attain the opening objective arrange one other memorable victory for Brighton and piled extra stress on the Chelsea supervisor.
Three defeats of their final 4 matches and with Cole Palmer enduring a irritating evening as he laboured as a false 9, at instances Maresca appeared misplaced on the touchline as he watched his aspect battle to discover a method again into the sport after Yankuba Minteh had made it 2-0 earlier than half-time. His second of the evening killed off any hopes of a comeback and it may have become a Valentine’s Day bloodbath had Mitoma, João Pedro or Joël Veltman taken their probabilities late on.
With the chasing pack getting nearer as Fabian Hürzeler’s aspect moved as much as eighth and inside six factors of his expensively assembled squad, the Chelsea supervisor will probably be questioning the place the following win is coming from.
Maresca had disregarded criticism from some supporters this week after saying that their exit from the FA Cup meant they may consider the Premier League, insisting that qualifying for the Champions League for the primary time since 2022 would take the membership again to the place it “belongs”.
That job was solely made more durable by the information that Nicolas Jackson has been dominated out for at the least six weeks, with the Chelsea supervisor deciding on Palmer to steer the road and shifting Christopher Nkunku to a deeper position after promising he would change issues up.
The choice to recall Filip Jörgensen rather than Robert Sánchez in objective meant the house followers had one fewer former participant to boo. However they picked up the place they’d left off at any time when Moisés Caicedo or, specifically, Marc Cucurella touched the ball.
It was no shock to see Hürzeler identify an virtually unchanged lineup after their stirring comeback final week, with captain Lewis Dunk lacking out as a result of a rib damage. The Brighton supervisor referred to as on his gamers to enhance their wretched current residence kind that had seen them fail to win any of their final 5 league matches right here, together with defeats by Crystal Palace and Everton, if they’re to face any likelihood of qualifying for Europe subsequent season and as soon as once more obtained the response he required.
The temperature was raised early on when Cucurella upended Minteh proper in entrance of the dugouts and was fortunate to flee a reserving. After blazing over when he had an early sight of objective, Palmer’s subsequent effort was even worse because it skewed method off beam following a surging run down the suitable flank that proved to be the tip of Noni Madueke’s night. He limped off with a hamstring damage and was changed by Jadon Sancho.
Brighton had proven solely glimpses of their menace up till that time and their breakthrough got here from probably the most direct means doable. Bart Verbruggen – whose disastrous personal objective final week gifted Chelsea the lead – picked out Mitoma with a raking cross and the Japan winger’s first contact because the ball dropped over his head was immaculate earlier than he drifted previous Trevoh Chalobah and curled the ball previous Jörgensen with aplomb.
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Chelsea – who ended the primary half with 71% possession however no shot on track – did have the ball within the web however the celebrations have been lower quick when Enzo Fernández was adjudged to have dedicated a foul. As an alternative it was the house followers who couldn’t comprise their pleasure when a haphazard Chelsea defence did not cope with Georginio Rutter’s cross and Minteh stored his cool to fit residence the second from shut vary after being arrange by Danny Welbeck. “Can we play you each week?” they sang.
Maresca despatched his gamers out early into the chilly Sussex evening for the second half however the break didn’t seem to have made a lot distinction. Rutter ought to have achieved higher when he was arrange by Minteh and will solely direct his shot properly over. However Minteh made no such mistake when Levi Colwill gave the ball away cheaply and Welbeck once more turned supplier for Brighton’s third. Malo Gusto’s reward for enjoying him onside was to be hauled off for Reece James, whereas £115m signing Caicedo was greeted with chants of “what a waste of cash” when he made method.
Mitoma may solely fireplace straight at Jörgensen after a fast break downfield as Brighton went for the jugular. The Chelsea goalkeeper was lucky that substitute Pedro couldn’t hit the goal after intercepting a horrible cross out from the again earlier than Veltman struck a put up by way of Jörgensen’s face. The way in which issues have been going for Maresca, he’ll be glad about small mercies.
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