Chelsea fail the red card test again in 3-1 defeat to Brighton
Soccer Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Brighton & Hove Albion - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - September 27, 2025 The big screen displays a VAR review message after Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah is shown a red card by referee Simon Hooper Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley
LONDON :For the second time in a week, Chelsea found themselves playing on Saturday with 10 men after a red card - and once again they failed to cope.
Coach Enzo Maresca's men were 1-0 up at home against Brighton & Hove Albion - having dominated the first half - when Trevoh Chalobah was sent off in the 53rd minute for tripping Diego Gomez as he bore down on goal.
Maresca tried to shore things up with emergency changes from the bench. But Brighton were able to cut through Chelsea's patched up defence and won 3-1, with the last two goals coming in time added on.
A week earlier at Manchester United, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was dismissed in the fifth minute. That allowed United to go into a 2-0 lead before they were reduced to 10 men as well, but they held on to win 2-1.
'WE NEED TO LEARN'
On that occasion too, Maresca was forced into instant changes to address his side's numerical disadvantage that ultimately proved futile.
The Italian said the dismissal of Chalobah - after a weak back pass by Brazilian Andrey Santos - proved the turning point for his young side after their strong performance before the break.
"For sure you cannot continue to make mistakes also because they are big mistakes in terms of game change, the red card (at)United and the red card today," Maresca said. "We need to learn and we need to learn quick."
With memories of Chelsea's victory in the summer Club World Cup fading fast, the Italian will face questions over his leadership of Chelsea who have not won in three Premier League games - they drew 2-2 at Brentford before last week's loss at Old Trafford.
BENFICA AND LIVERPOOL UP NEXT
The defensive shortcomings of his expensively assembled side are also likely to be contrasted with Chelsea's resilience under former coach Jose Mourinho, now the new manager of Benfica who come to Stamford Bridge in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Then it is the visit of reigning Premier League champions Liverpool next Saturday when Chalobah will be suspended, adding to the defensive headaches for Maresca on top of the long-term absence of Levi Colwill and fellow centre half Tosin Adarabioyo who is injured too. They will also be without Cole Palmer who is struggling with a groin strain.
Brighton coach Fabian Huerzeler lauded his players for recovering from Enzo Fernandez' opener to win with two goals by Danny Welbeck and one from fellow substitute Maxim De Cuyper, inflicting a first league home defeat on Chelsea in 2025.
"Of course a red card always helps, but a numerical advantage does not always mean it's an advantage on the pitch," he said. "Sometimes it's even harder to create something."
(Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Alison Williams)
