“After such a performance, can Enzo Maresca fulfill the hope of Chelsea fans making it in the champions league qualification this season”
Chelsea’s hold on a top-four position has been significantly weakened following a heavy 3-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, putting them at risk of being overtaken by Manchester City and Newcastle United.
Enzo Maresca’s team remains on 43 points, but with City and Newcastle just two points behind and both set to play later today, their place in the Champions League spots is under serious threat.
Having eliminated Chelsea from the FA Cup just a week earlier, Brighton once again demonstrated their superiority. Kaoru Mitoma opened the scoring with spectacular goal, setting the tone for the match.
Yankuba Minteh netted twice, handing Chelsea their third defeat in four games. The Blues failed to register a single shot on target, and Maresca admitted that his team lacked the necessary determination.
“We feel upset and very sorry for the fans,” he stated. “At this stage of the season, with 14 games remaining, we cannot afford to perform like this.”
The loss increased pressure on Maresca, with traveling supporters expressing their frustration. Some fans left the stadium early, while chants in support of former owner Roman Abramovich echoed from the away section.
Cole Palmer, deployed in a false-nine role, appeared frustrated throughout the match and was even encouraged by the coaching staff to acknowledge the fans at full-time.
Chelsea did find the net once, but Enzo Fernandez’s goal was disallowed due to a foul. However, they struggled to create meaningful attacking opportunities.
Brighton could have won by a larger margin, as Mitoma, Joao Pedro, and Joel Veltman all missed late chances.
Maresca made multiple changes, including replacing Robert Sanchez with Filip Jorgensen in goal, but defensive weaknesses persisted.
Levi Colwill’s error led to Brighton’s third goal, while Malo Gusto was withdrawn after playing Danny Welbeck onside.
With Nicolas Jackson sidelined for up to eight weeks, Chelsea’s attacking struggles continue to be a concern. Maresca admitted that the absence of a natural striker has hindered their offensive play.
“Hopefully, we can create more chances,” he added. “We are getting into good positions in the final third, but we need the right presence in the box.”
With a crucial period ahead, Chelsea must recover quickly, or their hopes of securing a top-four finish could slip away.
