Enzo Maresca Reacts As Chelsea Stumbles in Premier League Title Race After Brighton Defeat
- Chelsea dropped to seventh after a 3-1 loss to Brighton, extending their winless run in the Premier League
- Defender Trevoh Chalobah’s red card turned the game around for the away team, allowing Brighton to score three late goals
- Enzo Maresca admitted Chelsea “lost control” and called for a reaction ahead of their next games against Benfica and Liverpool
Chelsea’s hopes of staying in the Premier League title conversation suffered another major blow as they lost 3-1 to Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The defeat, which is their second league loss in as many weeks, leaves Enzo Maresca’s side stuck in seventh on the table and facing mounting pressure with defending champions Liverpool up next in the league.
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Chelsea collapse in second half
According to the BBC, Chelsea started brightly, taking the lead when Enzo Fernandez’s header through a deflection off Kaoru Mitoma found the back of the net.
Captain Reece James’s cross was inch-perfect, and it seemed like the Blues were set to cruise to victory, but the game flipped early in the second half.
Mitoma dispossessed debutant Andrey Santos, forcing Trevoh Chalobah into a desperate lunge on Georginio Rutter.
After a lengthy VAR check, Chalobah was sent off, Chelsea’s second red card in consecutive league games after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s dismissal last week against Manchester United.
Brighton turns the game around
Brighton capitalised on their man advantage, as substitute Danny Welbeck turned the game on its head.
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The former Manchester United forward scored a towering header in the 77th minute to level the score.
The Seagulls weren’t done yet as Maxim de Cuyper struck two minutes into stoppage time, heading home from a corner to give Brighton the lead.
Welbeck then finished from close range in the ninth minute of added time to seal a dramatic turnaround and silence Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea left the pitch to boos from sections of the home crowd, frustrated by a collapse that mirrored their late defeat to Manchester United last weekend.
Maresca reacts after home defeat
Speaking after the game, Enzo Maresca admitted that Chalobah’s red card changed everything for Chelsea, per the Daily Post.
“Today in the first half we were in control of the game, creating chances, we didn’t concede anything,” Maresca said.
“In the second half after five or six minutes, because of our mistake, we were with 10 players and unfortunately the game changed.”
Maresca now faces the challenge of lifting the mood of the Chelsea squad for Tuesday’s crucial Champions League clash against Benfica.
Chelsea’s winless run in the league since the international break has seen them lose ground on the top four.
With Liverpool next up in the league, Chelsea will aim to rediscover their discipline and defensive shape quickly to avoid slipping further away from the title race.
Maresca worried about Chelsea’s injuries
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Chelsea’s preparations for a crucial run of games have taken a hit after head coach Maresca confirmed three key players will miss action until after the international break.
Cole Palmer, Wesley Fofana, and Tosin Adarabioyo have all been sidelined with injuries, leaving the Blues stretched ahead of three crucial games.
Source: Legit.ng
