Chelsea were made to pay for another avoidable red card after slumping to a frustrating 3–1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
The Blues were in cruise control in the first half as Enzo Fernández opened the scoring with what felt like it would be the first of many goals for Chelsea, but a red card for Trevoh Chalobah just five minutes after the restart flipped the game on its head.
A 92nd-minute winner from Brighton, who still found time for a third goal, left Chelsea wondering what could have been once again, with fans not hiding their frustrations when the final whistle put them out of their misery.
More Red Card Chaos for Chelsea
After Robert Sánchez’s early red card last weekend, Chelsea again found themselves playing with 10 players here, and once again, it was completely avoidable.
The Blues were cruising at the end of the first half but one lapse in concentration from Andrey Santos left Chalobah on an island all alone, and his panicked attempt to stop two Brighton players getting a free shot on goal saw him dismissed after a lengthy VAR review.
With Tosin Adarabioyo joining Levi Colwill on the sidelines and Wesley Fofana following concussion protocol, Chelsea’s defensive numbers are looking incredibly thin.
There could be no complaints about the verdict, but it was incredibly harsh on Chalobah, who did not deserve to be in such a position and could hardly do anything else as he attempted to mop up Santos’s mess.
Maresca Faces Questions
Enzo Maresca’s decision to withdraw two attackers just five minutes into the defeat to Manchester United in response to Sánchez’s red raised significant questions over his response to a setback, and those issues cropped up once again here.
Chelsea did not improve as players spilled off the bench. Josh Acheampong was an unsurprising introduction, given the lack of senior alternatives, but Malo Gusto’s arrival made things even more chaotic and Benoît Badiashile’s only contribution was an on-field brawl.
Does Maresca lack confidence when the numbers go against him? That’s hardly a shocking response to adversity but one which appears to be costing Chelsea.
Injuries and Suspensions Causing Huge Problems
Cole Palmer’s absence with a groin problem now appears to be the least of Chelsea’s concerns.
At the back, Tosin and Fofana are both out injured, while Chalobah will face a suspension for his red card. That leaves Acheampong, Badiashile and Jorrel Hato as Chelsea’s only available centre backs for a week which will bring games against Benfica and... oh, Liverpool.
How Maresca adjusts his side will be fascinating. His options at the back are crumbling before his eyes, and that’s before the ankle scare suffered by Reece James enters the mix.
The Blues skipper doesn’t look to have suffered anything serious but may now need protecting in a week in which there are set to be very few opportunities to do so.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Club World Cup Memories Fading: Three Takeaways As Chelsea Self-Destruct Again.
