Chelsea’s poor discipline cost them again as they fell 3-1 to Brighton at Stamford Bridge, leaving manager Enzo Maresca frustrated with his team’s repeated mistakes. The Blues took the lead in the 24th minute when Enzo Fernandez headed in from a Reece James cross after a clever pass from Moises Caicedo. The home side looked comfortable until the 53rd minute, when Trevoh Chalobah was sent off for a reckless foul on Diego Gomez after a sloppy pass from Andrey Santos. The red card turned the game around, and Brighton punished Chelsea in the final stages. Danny Welbeck equalised in the 77th minute, Maxim De Cuyper headed in during stoppage time, and Welbeck struck again in the closing seconds to seal a dramatic comeback.
The defeat marked Chelsea’s second successive Premier League loss after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was dismissed early in their 2-1 defeat to Manchester United last weekend. Fans voiced their frustration as boos rang around Stamford Bridge, with the team now slipping to eighth place. Speaking after the game, Maresca admitted his players had handed the advantage to their opponents. He said Chelsea could not keep “giving away presents” with costly red cards and poor defending. The Blues face another tough challenge next as they prepare to meet league leaders Liverpool on October 4.
