Chelsea’s grip on a top-four spot has been weakened after a crushing 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, leaving them vulnerable to being overtaken by Manchester City and Newcastle United.
Enzo Maresca’s side remain on 43 points, but with City and Newcastle both just two points behind and playing later today, their position in the Champions League places is now at serious risk.
A week after dumping Chelsea out of the FA Cup, Brighton proved their dominance once again, with Kaoru Mitoma setting the tone by scoring a stunning opener.
Yankuba Minteh added two goals to hand the Blues their third defeat in four matches.
Chelsea failed to register a single shot on target, and Maresca admitted his side showed a lack of desire.
“We feel upset and very sorry for the fans,” he said. “In this moment, you cannot offer this kind of performance with 14 games to go.”
The defeat intensified pressure on Maresca, with travelling fans voicing their frustration. Chants for former owner Roman Abramovich echoed from the away end, and many supporters left the stadium early.
Cole Palmer struggled in a false-nine role and cut a frustrated figure throughout. He was even urged by coaching staff to acknowledge the fans at full-time.
Chelsea had a goal disallowed when Enzo Fernandez was penalised for a foul, but they posed little attacking threat.
Brighton could have won by an even bigger margin, with Mitoma, Joao Pedro, and Joel Veltman all missing late chances.
Maresca made several changes, recalling Filip Jorgensen in goal in place of Robert Sanchez, but defensive frailties remained.
Levi Colwill’s mistake led to Brighton’s third, and Malo Gusto was later substituted after playing Danny Welbeck onside for the goal.
With Nicolas Jackson sidelined for up to eight weeks, Chelsea’s lack of firepower is a growing concern. Maresca acknowledged the absence of a natural striker has impacted their attack.
“Hopefully, we can have more shots on goal,” he added. “We arrive quite well in the final third, but we need the right presence in the box.”
The Blues have little time to regroup, with a crucial period ahead. Unless they turn things around quickly, their top-four ambitions could evaporate.
