Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Chelsea: Hits and Flops as Blues drop points away from home | Premier League 2019-20
An inspired second-half performance by Brighton & Hove Albion ensured a well-deserved point for them against Chelsea as both teams start the year with a draw.
Everything was in control for Chelsea as captain César Azpilicueta put the away side in front inside 10 minutes. The Blues were in command in the first half but failed to make it count. A massive improvement was shown in the second half as the Seagulls looked more energetic and showed urgency in their game.
The home side created goalscoring chances in the second half only for Kepa Arrizabalaga to make three amazing saves and deny them. Midway through the half, Graham Potter used his final substitution to bring in club's record signing Alireza Jahanbakhsh. The decision paid off as the Iranian scored a sensational bicycle-kick to secure a well-deserved point for Brighton.
Chelsea fans heavily criticised the midfield of Kante, Jorginho and Mount. The London side already dropped points against bottom-half clubs like Everton, Southampton, West Ham, Bournemouth and now Brighton. For a team looking to cement their position in the top four, Chelsea have been way too inconsistent and have not created enough chances against teams who sit back and defend.
The new year brings in hope for Chelsea as the Blues can now dip into their £150m budget and can reinforce their rather sluggish looking attack. The South West London side are linked with players like Jordan Sancho, Moussa Dembele and Timo Werner. Any of them would be a great signing for Blues.
In conclusion, it was a frustrating day for Lampard and his men as they were unable to create many clear chances against Graham Potter’s well-drilled Seagulls side. Not killing off the game was Chelsea's undoing again. With all of that in mind, here's a look at the hits and flops from the match:
#3 Flop: Tammy Abraham
Though it was his initial attempt that helped the visitors take the lead, Tammy Abraham did not do much against Brighton. The 22-year old was slow and sluggish and did not link up well with the wingers. His poor decision of not passing the ball to Willian on the counter in the first half proved a decision that cost Chelsea the win.
Tammy was well shackled by Adam Webster and Lewis Dunk and had very few chances to strike for goal. The striker had one shot on target and was needlessly caught offside many times. A disappointing match for him meant that he could not add to his tally of 11 goals. A performance very different from the one he gave last game, where he scored the winner against London rivals Arsenal.
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