Oh, before I finally sign off, here’s the full match report. Jacob Steinberg was at Stamford Bridge.
Perhaps we should leave the last word to the visitors. And, of course, it refers to tonight’s big talking point: Brighton’s away kit.
Richard Webley: “As a Brightonian I am happy to inform you that the B&H Albion 3rd kit is the same colour as the Railings on the Promenade on the Brighton seafront. The colour I believe is called Promenade Railings Blue. RAL code 6027.”
So there you have it. Case closed. Goodnight!
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It seems Tuchel was referring to the incident when Pulisic went down. Mark Clattenburg isn’t having it and replays show that the Chelsea attacker had overrun the ball before colliding with Brighton defenders. Not a penalty for me, Clive.
Ten minutes to go at Brentford (if you’re still reading this) and Manchester City are on the cusp of going eight points clear at the top.
Now for Thomas Tuchel. This should be interesting. “Very frustrating. Very disappointing. We have enough big chances to win the match. We have a horrible decision from the referee (a penalty incident which I can’t quite recall); everything against us.” He’s clearly extremely miffed, bringing up Chelsea’s injury/Covid problems and the heavy fixture list. “We have no more wing-backs. We need to digest this and not talk about the next game,” says Tuchel when prompted to wax about the upcoming Liverpool match.
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Had Leeds United’s Mateusz Klich not hoofed Antonio Rudiger in the back of the leg, allowing Jorginho to net a last-minute penalty, Chelsea would have drawn their last five home Premier League games. Simply not good enough for a side with title ambitions. Man City are still 1-0 up by the way. Twenty minutes left at Brentford.
Now for Brighton boss Graham Potter. He’s a happy man as you’d expect. “Really proud. I think we were brave tonight. We showed our game. The performance was really really good. It’s not easy to come here but we matched a lot of their game. I can’t speak highly enough of the boys. It’s an incredibly brave performance against a top team.”
Brighton are now 10th and Potter has guided his teams to draws at both Liverpool and now Chelsea. In fact, they’ve still lost just once away in the league this season. Impressive stuff.
Fun/not so fun fact depending on who you support: Welbeck’s equaliser was Brighton’s first ever goal at Stamford Bridge. Speaking now on whether the result was deserved, Welbeck says: “I think it definitely was. To get the point in the end was big for us. It’s been a while since I’ve been out on the pitch so it was nice to get back and get back among the goals.”
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The draw takes Chelsea into second place, a point above Liverpool, but they won’t take any solace in that. This is two more gone. Next up for the Blues... a home clash against Liverpool. That’s simply a must-win game for both with City starting to pull clear. It’s still only 1-0 for Pep’s pacesetters at Brentford as they approach the hour mark but it’s hard to imagine them not taking all three points. If you fancy more hot, MBM action, go to Rob Smyth’s live blog now.
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Full-time: Chelsea 1-1 Brighton
It’s all over! Chelsea drop points at home for the fourth time in five matches but they can’t complain. Brighton dominated huge chunks of this game and were easily worth a point. Graham Potter’s man can’t shake the tag of ‘draw specialists’ but this one will feel sweeter than most thanks to Welbeck’s last-gasp leveller.
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90 min + 3: Andy Townsend gives the man-of-the-match award to Lukaku. Does he realise Brighton have equalised?
90 min + 2: Veltman hacks the ball clear as Brighton look to see this out.
90 min: Four added minutes. What a blow this could be for Chelsea.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Brighton (Welbeck 90)
Drama!!! Cucurella floats a cross into the box and super-sub Welbeck leaps above Chalobah and Rudiger and heads past the flat-footed Mendy. Totally deserved!!!!
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89 min: It looks like Chelsea are seeing this one out. They’ll be delighted to take a 1-0.
88 min: Chelsea threatening a clincher now as Kante’s 20-yarder is deflected for a corner. It falls to Kovacic whose effort goes over the bar via a flick from Azpilicueta. Brighton make a final change: Moder makes way for Alzate.
86 min: Almost a second for Lukaku. Kovacic feeds him in the box, he chops back inside and then is block-tackled by Burn as he tries to smash his shot past Sanchez. Tuchel screams for a corner but, nope, he’s not getting it.
85 min: Mendy taking his time with a goal-kick after a Brighton attack ends tamely.
84 min: I’m back and Brighton have a throw in the Chelsea half.
83 min: The game has just gone a little flat for Brighton. Can they gather themselves for a big last 10 minutes or so? Hopefully nothing happened just then as my eco-friendly television just turned itself off.
81 min: Dean peeps on his whistle to stop play and flashes a yellow at Mount for something off the ball with Bissouma. The Brighton man is booked too. Replays show some grappling near the touchline.
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79 min: Mount shoots left-footed from the D and Cucurella throws out a leg to deflect the Chelsea man’s shot for a corner. On comes Welbeck for Mac Allister. Terrible delivery from Alonso when the corner is eventually taken. Hear those groans.
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78 min: Chelsea a little quicker to the ball now, pinching possession in midfield as Brighton try and launch more forward thrusts.
76 min: Brighton are preparing to bring on Danny Welbeck as Potter looks to up the ante in attack.
75 min: Just a feeling that Chelsea have ridden out that strong middle hour from Brighton. Maybe.
73 min: Burn brings down Lukaku in a contest of Giant Haystacks v Big Daddy proportions, giving Chelsea a free-kick. Rudiger is free at the back post but his header is back across goal and Brighton do just about enough. Cucurella then has to act sharpish to clear for a corner. Chelsea can’t profit from that although their best moments seem to have come from set-pieces.
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71 min: Terrible touch from Alonso allows Mwepu - on for Lamptey - to break but Chelsea have enough cover.
69 min: Dean speaks to Lukaku after the striker pushes his marker on the edge of the box, conceding a free-kick. A shame for Chelsea as they looked to be building a promising attack.
68 min: Some respite for Chelsea as Pulisic wins a free-kick midway in the Brighton half. Just over a quarter of the match to go and this one remains in the balance. Man City are still winning 1-0 at Brentford so Chelsea cannot afford to drop points.
66 min: A big cheer as N’Golo Kante comes on for Hudson-Odoi. Can the Frenchman stop the flow of Brighton chances?
65 min: Maupay tries a one-two on the edge of the box with the unlikely figure of Dan Burn but it’s poked way for a corner. Chelsea are asleep and Lallana shoots for goal but fires over the crossbar. Surely it’s a matter of time before Brighton knock one of these in.
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63 min: Bissouma, who has been excellent, is clattered by Hudson-Odoi as he drives forward. The Chelsa No.20 is booked by Dean.
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62 min: Brighton absolutely deserve an equaliser - and maybe even more - here. They’ve been peppering the Chelsea goal with shots and, as far as I can remember, the hosts haven’t had an effort since Lukaku’s goal.
60 min: Brighton still pressing and pressing. Mac Allister is fed in behind the Chelsea defence and pulls the ball back to Maupay whose shot is blocked. Lamptey has a crack soon after from the edge of the box but his left footer is dragged wide.
58 min: Chelsea are being stretched and Kovacic goes into the book for a lunge. Mac Allister takes the free-kick from the right but, despite bouncing awkwardly in front of him, Mendy gathers cleanly.
56 min: Golden chance for Chelsea to double their lead. Hudson-Odoi and Mount are streaming through two on one but Veltman positions himself well and intercepts the pass. Hudson-Odoi should have done far better there. Play swings to the other end and this time it’s Brighton with head in hands as Maupay’s right-footer drills just wide of the post.
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55 min: March gets another cross into the box which Chelsea clear.
53 min: Alonso stops March’s cross with his stomach but then only clears to Bissouma. The all-action midfielder pulls the trigger from 25 yard and larrups a fine volley which causes Mendy to arch his back and tip over. Brighton deserve to be level here.
52 min: Brighton still sniffing and they pump a free-kick and corner into the box but again without any tangible results. Chelsea then break and the game is looking more stretched now.
51 min: Oof! Mendy dithers and dallies with his clearance and Maupay half charges the ball down. Nothing comes of it apart from raised heartbeats in the Stamford Bridge crowd.
49 min: Pulisic dances into the box and goes down. He appeals and VAR are taking a look. Looks like he’d lost control to be honest and it’s just a corner which Brighton clear.
48 min: Chelsea finally get going and Hudson-Odoi relieves the pressure by winning a corner down the right. Mount’s delivery again causes panic in the Brighton defence but this time they do enough to keep it off Lukaku’s bonce.
47 min: Brighton have started on the front foot again in this second 45. March, from the left, feeds the ball across to Lallana, who plays it first time into the area and Moder’s shinned effort from eight yards grazes the top of the crossbar! So close!
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Half-time switch for Chelsea. Trevor Chalobah has come on for the injured Christensen. Welcome Trev. We’re in play in the second half.
Well, there is a goal now at Brentford and it’s gone to Man City thanks to Phil Foden.
While you boil the kettle or work your way through the Christmas chocolates (I polished off a huge family box of Maltesers prior to the game tonight despite the intention to pick away at them throughout the 90 minutes: madness!), don’t forget you can keep up to date with Brentford v Man City here via Rob Smyth’s blog. Still 0-0 but just 15 minutes gone.
More on the Brighton kit..
Daniel Taylor-Lind: “Being a total guitar nut I would say that Brighton’s kit is ‘seafoam’ green; this was a a colour fender used that was developed by US car manufacturers in the late 1950’s!”
Forgive me, I forgot to say that it was Mount who swung in the corner for Lukaku to head home. That’s the England man’s fifth assist of the season.
HALF-TIME: Chelsea 1-0 Brighton
The half-time whistle blows and Chelsea are in front thanks to Lukaku’s 27th minute header. But it’s a fragile lead. Brighton have had nine shots to Chelsea’s six, 55% possession and ended the first period much the stronger side. Remember, this is a Brighton team that came from 2-0 down at Anfield to draw 2-2 while they’ve suffered just one away defeat in the Premier League this season. Tuchel has plenty to point out you’d imagine when he gathers his team for the half-time chat and orange segment.
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45 min + 3: Brighton again pour forward and get numbers in the box but Maupay can only get a weak header on the loose ball and, once more, Mendy has it safely. Chelsea will want the interval here.
45 min + 2: Brighton have had 65% possession in the last five minutes. Can they do something with it though? Mac Allister tries to with a left-foot thump from the edge of the D but it’s straight down Mendy’s throat. The last six attempts in the game have all been for Brighton!
45 min: We’ll have four minutes of added time after those injury stoppages for Christensen and James.
43 min: Mount’s backheel intended for Lukaku is loose and Brighton threaten to break again before the Chelsea defence wins it back. The visitors have been excellent for the last 15 minutes or so.
42 min: Clattenburg says yellow for Rudiger is the right call. So there you have it.
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40 min: A wild tackle from Rudiger on Lamptey near the touchline draws only a booking. Hmmm. He’s launched himself but Mike Dean, who hasn’t shown a red card this season, decides yellow is enough. Brighton then win another corner. Mendy punches clear and Lamptey, who is fine after the challenge, gets his volley wrong, floating it harmlessly over the bar.
38 min: Brighton have their tails up. Bissouma drives into the box but slips. There’s a scramble but it comes to Lallana on the edge of the box and his left-footer is tipped behind by Mendy. Lukaku heads the corner away but back to Lallana and this time the ex-Liverpool man makes a horlicks of his shot. Better from the visitors though.
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36 min: Solly March has Pulisic on toast down the left. The ball breaks back to Bissouma and he thumps in a shot but straight at Mendy.
Some housekeeping. Reece James went off with a hamstring problem while KitblissNZ on Twitter says: “I’m reliably informed that the official colour for Brighton’s away kit is ‘mint green’. I’m something of a kit nut, sadly...”
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33 min: Cucurella, a whirl of hair and scampering legs, darts down the left and wins a corner for Brighton but it’s underhit and Chelsea head clear.
31 min: Brighton still look threatening on the break and have responded well since the goal. Christensen is now moving a little awkwardly so could we have another Chelsea defender down?
29 min: Lukaku hadn’t done an awful before that but he took the chance impressively. In the studio, Mark Clattenburg (Amazon Prime’s Peter Walton) says the goal is absolutely fine.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Brighton (Lukaku 27)
Before the treatment for James, Chelsea had won a corner. It’s finally taken and, boom, Lukaku nods it in, easy as you like. It’s checked by VAR as Maupay went down when trying to disrupt the run of Lukaku but the goal stands. Another headed goal for Chelsea!
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26 min: It’s game over for Reece James, who is down receiving treatment. It looks like a tackle from Bissouma has done the damage although it didn’t look anything too bad. James is hurt though and walks off in slow motion. A big round of applause for the England man as Alonso takes his place.
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24 min: Finally a ball that releases Lukaku. Kovavic finds the striker, who plays in Mount for a shot from a narrow angle which Sanchez blocks for a corner.
22 min: Bissouma robs Kovacic in midfield and hares forward. He has Lamptey running with him and it’s a great chance to play the right-back in but his pass lacks accuracy and allows Rudiger to step across and put out the fire.
20 min: Chelsea winning a few corners now. They play it short this time and Hudson-Odoi, in too much space really, curls it too deep and out of play. A waste. Fans hate that. Just get it in the mixer!
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19 min: James, playing down the left tonight, tries a shot or was it a cross after cutting back in from the wing? Either way, it’s catching practice for Sanchez although, on the evidence so far, he needs it.
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18 min: At the other end, Cucurella pulls the trigger from 25 yards but his left-footer is always angling away from the post.
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17 min: Mount wins a corner off Cucurella and up come the Chelsea big men. It’s a huge scramble. Sanchez flaps at it, the ball breaks back to Azpilicueta and the defender’s bobbled effort strikes the post! They press again and this time Sanchez shows a clean pair of hands. Best chance so far.
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15 min: Chelsea are trying to look for Lukaku when they can but he has very little space to operate in so far.
13 min: Christiansen tries a Joel Matip-style gallop forward from defence but has his pocket picked. Not as easy as the Liverpool man makes it look.
Joe Pearson from Indianapolis helps me out with Brighton’s kit. “I think I’d go with sea foam or turquoise, but my wife used to own a boutique.”
11 min: Some Brighton possession before they they play in Lamptey down the right. The former Chelsea man beats James, runs in a line across the penalty area and curls a left-foot shot not that far wide. James has his hands full here.
9 min: Sanchez flaps at the corner a little but Brighton clear. Lukaku drops a little deeper in a bid to see some action but the visitors are disrupting him well so far.
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8 min: Hudson-Odoi cuts in from the left and goes for goal but a Brighton leg deflects his shot into the air and Lukaku can’t get to the rebound. Chelsea press again and win a corner.
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6 min: Decent start by Brighton apart from that scare on the break. They’re pressing Chelsea and making Tuchel’s men rush a little.
4 min: Jorginho gives the ball away carelessly and Brighton have a free-kick. They play it out wide right and the speedy Lamptey tries to get in behind Reece James. The two crash to the ground in the area and, for a split second, everyone looks to Mike Dean. Thankfully for the hosts, he awards a free-kick to Chelsea.
2 min: Chelsea’s first attack of the game and Mount has a golden chance to play in Odoi but Bissouma gets back to nick it off the Chelsea man’s toe. Vital interception.
1 min: Brighton have a couple of throws down the left. Cucurella hoists the ball into the box but it comes to nothing. Chelsea still penned in their own half.
Peeeep!! After everyone takes the knee (much applause from the crowd), Brighton get us in play.
Here come the teams! Chelsea in their usual blue and Brighton in a sort of all-cyan, shell, erm, greeny, strip. I’m colour blind so probably not the best man to be explaining this.
A few music-themed emails...
Matt Burtz: “I imagine Fatboy Slim doesn’t count as being “from” Brighton but he seems deserving of a mention, at least to this American who at the very least vaguely remembered his Brighton connection and had never heard of The Go! Team until 10 minutes ago.”
Peter Oh: “Flock of Seagulls aren’t from Brighton?”
Andreas Tangen: “Nice to see the Television Personalities get some airtime. They did all live (the original line-up, at least) in the King’s Road and environs but Dan was a Man U fan, the silly sod.”
Steve Waterhouse: “Ladyflash (Go! Team) is an absolute banger. Honourable mention to The Electric Soft Parade whose album should be ‘filed under brilliant debuts’ according to these pages.”
Brighton boss Graham Potter is asked why Neal Maupay has suddenly started banging them in this season. The Frenchman has seven goals in 15 games so far. Potter replies: “Erm, it’s a fine line between scoring and not. Not too much difference; this time the goals are going in.”
Brighton have never scored a Premier League goal at Stamford Bridge. Why Graham? Why? What makes them so strong defensively? Potter decides not to revisit history and opts for the forward defensive. “They’re champions of Europe, they’ve invested a lot in their team.”
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Thomas Tuchel is asked if Lukaku is back to his best following that impressive 45-minute cameo against Villa. The German replies: “It’s too early to say but he will be at his best at some point, at which point I don’t know.” He adds the striker’s intensity seems to be back following injury and catching Covid.
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Actually that was a preview feature as Gus is now pitchside. He’s everywhere tonight. Discussion now focuses on Lukaku. Will we see the Lukaku of group stage Belgium (niche dig) that reappeared against Villa last time or the muted figure that hasn’t really clicked at Chelsea?
Amazon Prime are billing this as the ‘Gus Poyet derby’ and, in fact, they have the man himself on a two sofa set-up in the studio. Gus laughs when asked who he wants to win but then says “Chelsea”. On the other sofa, Tim Sherwood says centre-forwards are a dying breed. If ever Romelu Lukaku needed some incentive, it’s right there.
Rob Smyth is in his comfy chair for the Brentford v Man City match and he’s already preambled. Kick-off there is at 8.15pm and you can follow it here.
John Terry is back at Chelsea! Well, in a part-time role as a coaching consultant in the club’s academy, but from small acorns...
For the away side, there are several fine bands from Brighton but I’m picking The Go! Team. This is from their debut album ‘Thunder, Lightning, Strike’. Any song that starts off sounding like theme music to an athletics meeting from Oslo in 1981 (Coe going for a world record perhaps) and ends with a sample of a Northern Soul classic (Shirley Ellis’s ‘Soul Time’) is fine by me. Go! Team albums usually get four stars out of five from proper Guardian music critics by the way.
Time for some pre-match music. Let’s start with the hosts and a nice early mention of the King’s Road in this shambling and enjoyable ditty from post-punk Chelsea band The Television Personalities. “This (adopting John Peel voice) is from the ‘Where’s Bill Grundy Now?’ EP.”
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Amazon Prime has this one although their coverage hasn’t started yet. That reminds me, I have a package to collect two doors down. Except they’re never in.
Romelu Lukaku starting a game for the first time since October is the headline news for Chelsea. He’s one of four changes made by Tuchel. Mateo Kovacic and Andreas Christensen are the respective replacements for injured duo N’Golo Kante and Thiago Silva. Marcus Alonso is the other man missing from the side that won 3-1 at Aston Villa. Looks like Callum Hudson-Odoi will fill his left wing-back role.
Brighton fans will be disappointed that the lively Leandro Trossard hasn’t made it following a hamstring injury. Solly March comes in. As expected, Yves Bissouma is back while Joel Veltman gets the nod at centre-back alongside man mountain Dan Burn. So that’s (looks at fingers) three changes made by Graham Potter.
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The teams
Chelsea: Mendy, James, Rudiger, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kovacic, Mount, Pulisic, Hudson-Odoi, Lukaku
Subs: Kepa, Alonso, Kante, Chalobah, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Havertz, Sarr
Brighton: Sanchez, Lamptey, Veltman, Burn, Cucurella, Bissouma, Lallana, Moder, Mac Allister, March, Maupay
Subs: Steele, Gross, Alzate, Welbeck, Mwepu, Richards, Duffy, Webster, Ferguson
Referee: Mike Dean
Your Chelsea team news tonight! 🔵@ParimatchGlobal | #CheBha pic.twitter.com/wPjevIyJnz
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 29, 2021
COME ON ALBION! 💪 Here's how we line up against Chelsea in the @PremierLeague. 📝
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 29, 2021
📲 https://t.co/S3j1TIedJv ✘ #BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/UnnhWhZ812
Preamble
Any rush to judgement can make us look foolish. For a few games there, Chelsea were quickly being downgraded from title candidates to mere top four contenders. It was only a matter of time, they said, before Tommy T’s stuttering side would lose touch with the breakaway at the top and be sucked in by the peloton. But with Liverpool dropping five points in the last six and Chelsea returning to winning ways at Aston Villa, victory for the Blues tonight will take them up to second and three clear of Jurgen Klopp’s Reds. In theory, Chelsea could even end the evening just three points behind leaders Manchester City if all the cards fall their way. That seems unlikely though. Pep and co are in action too tonight and no-one really expects anything other than a convincing win at Brentford in the 8.15pm kick-off. You can join Rob Smyth for that one.
As for visitors Brighton, they’re a mass of statistical contradictions. Graham Potter’s men have managed just one more win (five) than Watford (four) and yet have lost only once on the road. They gatecrashed the top four early in the season and then completely lost the ability to win games despite still playing quite well. After a slow drift down the table, the Seagulls flew back to ninth with victory over Brentford last time, their first top-flight win for 12 matches, but they’ll start this one in 11th. If only they had a decent striker, eh; someone who could knock them in on a regular basis? Well, er, they have. Fun fact: Neal Maupay has scored the same number of Premier League goals (seven) as Cristiano Ronaldo this season. Only seven players are above the Frenchman in the Golden Boot charts and, for further comparison, Romelu Lukaku has just four.
Perhaps this is all a long-winded way of saying the smart money is on Maupay grabbing an equaliser in a 1-1 draw. Brighton forced a 0-0 stalemate at Stamford Bridge last season so, y’know, don’t dismiss them lightly. It’s off to Stamford Bridge then. Let battle commence!
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