Brighton Away – View From In Front Of My Screen
The first game back in front of my computer following a little sojourn in the UK and it brings a day by the seaside for the Blues and a return to the Amex for Potter.
Brighton away has recently bought at least a point for the Blues can they keep it up, and their unbeaten run under Potter going?
The game kicks off with the returning Potter and Cucurella receiving a hostile reception.
After 2 minutes Silva gives the ball away then recovers to make a spectacular header off the line then immediately makes a 2nd desperate clearance. Brighton are running rampant.
Then another bad pass from Silva is blocked and fed to Trossard who gives Brighton the lead as he dances round several players and Kepa. Chelsea are all over the place.
On 6 mins Chelsea have a corner, it’s cleared. Brighton playing with pace and aggression
8 minutes and Kovacic almost finds Pulisic, but the goalie makes a crucial interception.
10 gone and Kovacic is booked for complaining to much after a foul on March.
Chelsea being harried and harassed continually
Then from a lack of a proper clearance Brighton get another corner and a great delivery is mishit by Loftus Cheek and it comes off the bar and drops into the net 2-0.
18 mins and a chance for Gallagher well saved then Pulisic hits the follow up over. Chelsea missing a good chance to pull one back.
19 minutes Sterling plays a great ball into Gallagher and his header is saved by Sanchez who is having a blinder of a game so far.
20 mins and Havertz works a bit of space but the goalie again saves it conceding a corner.
As happens to often it comes to nothing.
Brighton bullying Chelsea on the ball at every moment, The pace of the game is very fast can they keep it up?
25mins and another chance for Trossard as they attack down the Chelsea right
28 minutes another Chelsea corner Sanchez misses it, but Dunk manages to kick it away
Brighton asking questions by playing long balls over Chelsea’s high line.
30 mins and another good attack by Brighton finishes with a strike hitting the side netting
37 mins and Brighton get another corner it’s glance wide by Webster
Cucurella is being run ragged by March.
41 mins and another Brighton attack down Chelsea’s right, Pulisic doesn’t see the player running in behind him and the ball is crossed in by Estupiñán and Chalobah’s desperate lunge to cut the ball out sees it going into the net. 2 own goals under pressure.
Brighton fans singing “your getting sacked in the morning”
Chelsea players look like they just want this half to finish.
Potter needs to weave some magic at half time if Chelsea are to get something out of this game.
Just the one change from Potter at half time as Mendy comes on for the injured Kepa.
On 47mins Loftus-Cheek does well down the right and checks back looking for Gallagher. He curls it in beautifully for Kai Havertz, who nods it back across goal and into the bottom corner. Is that game on?
49 minutes and Sterling booked for taking out a standing leg to break up an attack from midfield
52 minutes and Sanchez is lucky as the ball bounces off Groß’s chest from a cross and hits him as he’s diving.
55 and a good turn of pace from Mount out of defense comes to nothing.
Chelsea have had 70% possession in the 1st 10 mins of 2nd half and are controlling the pace of the game a bit better now
60mins and a tame shot from Mount goes wide.
Then a good ball from Sterling to L-Cheek and his shot is deflected wide for a corner.
Chelsea now look threatening with every attack.
63 mins and Auba comes on for Sterling and Cucurella is replaced by Chillwell., Brighton take off Lallana for Enciso for his Premier league debut.
68 minutes Aubameyang has a strike saved by Sanchez that leads to a corner, its cleared to Chillwell who strikes wide across the goal.
70mins and a good piece of cover from Estupiñán stops Auba getting to a good through ball
73 mins and Mitoma is replaced by ex Chelsea boy Lamptey
76 mins see a shot by Enciso comfortably saved by Mendy
Chelsea waiting to bring on Broja and Ziyech, as Brighton get a good break, but a poor decision allows the Chelsea defense to get back and Mendy saves
78 mins and Ziyech comes on for Gallagher and Broja comes on for Pulisic.
Ten mins to go can Chelsea turn the screw, the is game getting a bit scrappy with niggly fouls to break up the play. Brighton happy to soak up Chelseas pressure
82 mins and Ensiso is booked for dragging back L-Cheek, Brighton fouling/breaking up play at every opportunity
The resulting free-kick from Ziyech is just wide
85 L-Cheek pulls a good cross back to Havertz but his shot is high and over the bar.
86 The impressive Tossard is subbed
87 mins and Solly March goes down holding his thigh, methinks it’s to waste some time “Potter whats the score” is the chant now
5mins of extra time…
91mins another Chelsea corner. Again wasted
Brighton break quickly, but Chelsea end up with a throw in The ball is lost and Mendy saves twice from long range strikes but the ball falls to Groß who scores 4-1 that looks like game over for the Blues
The Brighton fans now singing “we want 5”
So Potter loses his 1st game for Chelsea after 9 games, against his old club who beat the Blues for the 1st time in the Premier league
Overall I think Potter got his starting tactics wrong and didn’t change quick enough as Chelsea were outmuscled and over run on the flanks by a Brighton side with something to prove against their old manager.
MoTM for me was Trossard, and for us the best player was either Havertz or Gallagher, with Cucurella getting the must try better award.
Jack Russell
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