Chelsea had one of their most cohesive performances of the season with one of their most significantly rotated lineups. Maurizio Sarri had just the right mix in his starting XI to roll past Brighton.
Throughout the season the Blues have had a constant flux in form. They would dominate some games and perform subpar others. On their form going into the game against Brighton, not many would have expected a disciplined display from Chelsea. But they showed shades of their quality as Maurizio Sarri made seven changes to the squad, and all of them proved vital.
Callum Hudson Odoi made his first Premier League start and didn’t fail to impress as he earned an assist and was threatening throughout the game. Fans were desperate to see Hudson-Odoi start a league game over out-of-form Willian and Pedro. The 18-year-old has been impressive all season with the club and with England at the Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Hudson-Odoi used his pace and skills to keep Brighton’s defenders on the back foot. he beat Anthony Knockaert with his quick feet and delivered a low cross to Olivier Giroud who finished it off superbly under pressure.
Man in form, Olivier Giroud was given the nod to start ahead of Gonzalo Higuain. Giroud scored the opening goal for the Blues and linked up very well with all others around him, making quick short passes with teammates and using his physical prowess to keep defenders off the ball.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek started the game and his presence was visible as he showed his creativity and attacking intent in the first half. Loftus-Cheek scored a sublime goal from outside the penalty box in the 63′, curling the ball past Mat Ryan’s outstretched left hand. He also assisted a wonderful Eden Hazard goal.
Loftus-Cheek has now scored two goals in two games. He has more to offer than Ross Barkley and Mateo Kovacic, and should be the regular at attacking midfield.
Eden Hazard started the game against Cardiff on the bench and his presence was dearly missed. The Belgian started this game and, as usual, was Chelsea’s star man. Hazard assisted Loftus Cheek’s goal after scoring one of his own, fooling the Brighton defense with a fake shot before placing the ball into the net. Hazard was at the heart of everything Chelsea did against Brighton.
Much of the credit for Chelsea’s build-up play goes to Loftus-Cheek and Hudson-Odoi. Both the youngsters were moving up and down the pitch and dropping occasionally to get the ball. Perhaps Maurizio Sarri’s comment on “not enough player movement around Jorginho” could be true.
N’Golo Kante did what he does best: he ran throughout the game. The Frenchman was everywhere. He was in the opposition’s box trying to score or create goals just as often as he was making tackles in the midfield. He could have been on the scoresheet when Hazard picked his run with a brilliant cross, but Kante lacked the finishing touch. There is no replacement for Kante.
The defense really didn’t have much to do as Chelsea had the lion’s share of possession and the defense was absolutely disciplined, with no errors and no nonsense. This was a rare defensive performance this season. Emerson Palmieri and Andreas Christensen were both impressive in defense. Cesar Azpilicueta, meanwhile, came off for the first time this season. The captain had played every minute of the Premier League.
Not to get carried away with this performance, as it was only Brighton, as you expect a top six side to dominate mid- to bottom half teams. But they have quality in the youngsters and enough experience in the locker room to make a brilliant team.
The changes worked for Sarri and the team played like a unit to earn an important win. The squad should remain the same for the upcoming game against West Ham United to preserve the momentum that has been missing for so many spells this season.
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