Brighton 3 Chelsea 0: Enzo Maresca’s embarrassing Blues have ZERO shots on target as Seagulls run riot
FORGET fighting on four fronts? Chelsea can’t even do it on the seafront.
A second trip to the South Coast in a week, another abject performance from Enzo Maresca’s team which is suddenly in danger of collapse.
And Kauro Mitoma torturing them yet again with his second goal in as many games – this time showing world class quality to make a £1 billion squad look two bob.
Last Saturday, head coach Maresca was forced to look for silver linings after being dumped out of the FA Cup on this same patch of ground.
They are also out of the Carabao Cup and after this result could be booted out of the Premier League top four this afternoon by either Manchester City or Newcastle.
Maresca claims his injury-hit and youthful players are not ready to challenge in the three domestic and one European competition yet.
Right now it’s the third-rate Conference League or bust as the energy drains from the legs and hearts of his wobbling boys in blue.
Last Saturday was bad enough, seeing how Chelsea got a lucky break through a Brighton own goal, only to wilt.
Yet far from turning it on and responding in historic Stamford Bridge style, the bald Italian had his head in his hands again as a debut season which promised so much for him before Christmas is now in freefall.
This was even worse than last week. Not even a glimmer of early hope like they were when gifted an early lead through a Brighton own goal. Instead just plain old surrender.
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Brighton fans were singing ‘Can we play you every week?’ long before halftime – ignoring the fact they actually do.
The Chelsea fans were long gone before the final whistle having reverted to type and called for former owner Roman Abramovich.
If there is any consolation for them, they got to see a stunning goal scored right in front of them by a class act – just a shame it was against their team.
Mitoma’s ice-cool control taking down a long punt upfield from keeper Bart Verbruggen redefines route one football.
The weighty hoof landed on his outstretched right foot like a plunging meteorite, yet the Japanese winger cushioned it like a fragile, newborn baby.
He then slammed on the air brakes and left Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah for dead before curling a classy finish into the corner of the net.
Go Google Dennis Bergkamp’s immortal strike for Holland against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup finals and you’ll see what everybody is raving about.
It would be nice to write how Brighton added to that with goals of similar quality but the two scruffy efforts from Yankuba Minteh were in stark contrast.
Seven minutes before half time he poked home a shot from inside the box through a ruck of legs after Chelsea failed to clear.
He then wrapped it all up in the 63rd minute by bundling home a shot deflected off Chalobah.
Where Chelsea are floundering, Brighton have their tails up and have done wonders to further their own outside push for European football next season.
They move up to eighth on the back of this extraordinary victory in the Premier League’s newest grudge match.
Maresca’s refusal to pass comment on Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler may just be a simple act of loyalty towards his old mate and the German’s predecessor Robert de Zerbi.
But it’s made for simmering bad feelings regardless, even though the two coaches shook hands briefly before kick off and at the end.
It doesn’t need words from either man to work out who has emerged the winner of this particular battle.
Maresca can point to the lack of a fit striker as much as he likes and it is a fair point.
But none of Brighton’s goals was scored by a striker to underline that you can get goals from other positions if you get the mood right.
And it certainly isn’t at Chelsea at the moment.
Star player Cole Palmer looks desperately unhappy.
Maresca’s best player wasted two good chances in the first half and then spent the rest of the game either out of sight or throwing his hands up in frustration at every wrong turn by a team-mate.