Chelsea’s FA Cup hopes came to an early end as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Brighton in the fourth round at the Amex Stadium. Despite a strong start, the Blues were ultimately outplayed by a clinical Brighton side that capitalized on Chelsea’s mistakes and missed opportunities.
The match began with a fortunate own goal for Chelsea when Cole Palmer’s cross was mishandled by Brighton’s goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. However, their lead was short-lived, as Kaoru Mitoma equalized just eight minutes later. In the second half, Mitoma struck again to put Brighton ahead, and from that point, Chelsea struggled to mount a response.
Chelsea’s Player Ratings
Robert Sanchez – 6/10
Made some solid saves but struggled with distribution. Calls for Filip Jorgensen to replace him are growing.
Malo Gusto – 4/10
Struggled defensively, especially against Mitoma and Lamptey. Reece James’ absence was felt.
Tosin Adarabioyo – 6/10
Strong in the first half but lost composure in the second, failing to track runners for Brighton’s winning goal.
Trevoh Chalobah – 6/10
Composed in possession but couldn’t prevent Brighton’s attacking threat.
Marc Cucurella – 6/10
Handled Yankuba Minteh well despite a hostile reception from Brighton fans.
Moises Caicedo – 7/10
Chelsea’s best performer. Retained possession well and created a great chance for Nkunku.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 6/10
Linked up well with Palmer but didn’t influence the game enough.
Pedro Neto – 6/10
Looked dangerous down the right but was surprisingly substituted.
Cole Palmer – 6/10
Played a role in Chelsea’s goal but struggled to impact the game as expected.
Jadon Sancho – 5/10
Another underwhelming display, failing to provide attacking threat on the left.
Christopher Nkunku – 5/10
Missed a golden opportunity in the first half and was largely ineffective up front.
Substitutes
Enzo Fernandez – 6/10
Brought some urgency but couldn’t change the game.
Tyrique George – 5/10
Ineffective, missing a good opportunity.
Noni Madueke – 5/10
Struggled to make an impact after replacing Neto.
Maresca’s Reaction & Chelsea’s Challenges
Enzo Maresca was visibly frustrated as his side lacked creativity and struggled to break down Brighton’s defense. Injuries to key players like Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu have left Chelsea short of attacking options, exposing their lack of squad depth.
With Chelsea now out of the FA Cup, their focus shifts to the Premier League, where they need significant improvements to secure European qualification. If results don’t improve soon, Maresca’s position could come under scrutiny.
Conclusion
Chelsea’s early FA Cup exit was a disappointing blow, as their inability to capitalize on an early lead proved costly. With injuries mounting and attacking struggles continuing, the Blues face a tough road ahead. Maresca will need to find solutions quickly if Chelsea are to salvage their season.
