‘Worst performance since I arrived’

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca feels his team did very little right in their 0-3 thrashing to Brighton on Friday

Enzo Maresca admitted Chelsea’s dismal 3-0 defeat at Brighton was the “worst performance” of his reign. 

Maresca’s hapless side failed to muster a shot on target in their second defeat in the space of seven days at the Amex Stadium. Mitoma scored the winner when Brighton knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-1 victory last weekend. He tormented the Blues again with a breathtaking piece of skill in the first half before Gambia winger Yankuba Minteh netted either side of the interval. 

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Enzo Maresca

Maresca, in his first season in charge after arriving from Leicester, said this week that Chelsea “belong” in the Champions League, with the club setting him the target of qualifying within two years.

Blow to Chelsea UCL hopes 

Unfortunately, Chelsea’s third defeat in their last four games in all competitions was another blow to their hopes of finishing in the top four. 

“I feel pressure always, not only now, but tonight the performance we can say was the worst performance since I arrived,” Maresca said. 

“With this result the frustration is with everything. We feel really sorry for the fans who came here,” he added. 

Maresca will have to find a solution to Chelsea’s chronically error-prone defence if the fourth-placed Blues, two points ahead of Manchester City and Newcastle, are to achieve their target this term. 

“When you play this kind of game, the situation we are in, and you perform in the way we did tonight there are many things you can do better,” Maresca said.  
Star forward Cole Palmer again looked out of sorts as he blazed over from the edge of the area, then scuffed wide from Noni Madueke’s cross. Madueke limped off injured moments later.

Magical Mitoma

There was worse to come for Maresca in the 27th minute as Brighton took the lead in eye-catching fashion. Bart Verbruggen’s goal-kick was superbly controlled by Mitoma with a remarkably deft touch as it dropped over his shoulder, before he adroitly rolled the ball away from Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and planted a low finish into the far corner from the edge of the area. 

Brighton then struck again in the 38th minute. A sloppy error from Chelsea in their own half allowed the home team to win possession with Danny Welbeck teeing up Minteh who scored from close range.

Brighton made it three in the 63rd minute, when Welbeck found Minteh who danced past Chelsea left back Marc Cucurella to score with a fierce shot from eight yards.

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