Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has admitted that his team must “find different solutions” quickly after a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Brighton in the Premier League.
The Blues failed to register a single shot on target – a worrying trend in recent performances.
Chelsea’s Struggles Continue in Heavy Brighton Defeat
Less than a week after being knocked out of the FA Cup by the same opponent, Chelsea suffered yet another loss at the hands of Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton side.
The Seagulls dominated from start to finish, with Kaoru Mitoma opening the scoring in the 27th minute with a spectacular solo goal.
Yankuba Minteh then struck twice, once on either side of halftime, to compound Chelsea’s misery on the south coast.
The defeat marks Chelsea’s third loss in their last four matches across all competitions and puts their top-four aspirations in jeopardy, with Manchester City now having the chance to leapfrog them with a win over Newcastle this weekend.
Chelsea’s Attacking Woes: No Shots on Target
One of the most alarming aspects of Chelsea’s performance at the Amex Stadium was their complete lack of attacking threat – the Blues failed to register a single shot on target.
Maresca acknowledged their struggles in front of goal in his post-match press conference, admitting that his team must quickly find alternative solutions in the final third.
“Hopefully we can get a shot on goal. But especially for me, we arrive quite well at the edge of their box. Quite clear, quite clean,” Maresca explained.
“The problem is then in the last third you need the ball inside the box, you need the player there, and the first one, the main one, is the No.9 inside their box.”
With Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu both unavailable, Chelsea lacked a focal point in attack, making it difficult to break down Brighton’s defence.
Enzo Maresca needs to address the mentality in this squad.
When we concede, the gameplan and any positive play goes out of the window.
— Tom Overend (@tovers98) February 14, 2025
Cole Palmer’s Goal Drought and Team Frustration
Chelsea’s star man Cole Palmer endured another frustrating night and has now gone five games without a goal.
Maresca stressed that Palmer is not the only one frustrated, as the entire squad is feeling the pressure of their poor form.
“We play football as a team. It’s not tennis. It’s not only Cole Palmer who is frustrated. We are all the same in this moment,” Maresca said.
“For sure, we feel upset and we feel, especially, very sorry for the fans that were here but, in general, for our fans.”
https://twitter.com/SubvertedAngles/status/1890527656875082023
Noni Madueke Injury Update
Adding to Chelsea’s woes, winger Noni Madueke was forced off in the first half due to injury. Maresca confirmed that Madueke is set for a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring issue.
“Malo [Gusto] is okay. Noni, unfortunately, it’s a hamstring problem, so he will be out for a while,” Maresca revealed.
With key players like Madueke and Jackson out injured, Chelsea’s squad depth will be tested in the coming weeks.
🚨⚠️ Noni Madueke will be out “for a while” following hamstring injury suffered tonight, confirms Enzo Maresca. pic.twitter.com/q2RXR79KDS
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 14, 2025
Maresca Calls for Improved Mentality and Urgency
Despite the heavy loss, Maresca insists that Chelsea were “in control” before Mitoma’s goal but lacked the required urgency and desire to fight back.
“I think we approached the game quite well, and until the Mitoma goal, we were in control, and we were close many times to creating chances,” he said.
“Then after the goal, we lost a little bit of something. It’s something we need to review and improve.”
With only 13 games left in the Premier League season, Maresca knows Chelsea must rediscover their form quickly if they are to secure Champions League football next season.
They’ll hope to bounce back in their next game – a trip to Aston Villa.
