Chelsea 1-2 Brighton: 3 positives and 3 negatives from abysmal performance

Chelsea has lost the third game of Frank Lampard’s second reign and this defeat was spectacular indeed. The Blues were decent for just about the first 20 minutes of the game if that. Brighton & Hove Albion got the impression that Lampard’s men did not have a clue who they should be marking and they took full advantage of that.

The west London side seemed to set up in a 4-3-3 initially, with Trevoh Chalobah at right back and Conor Gallagher at right central midfield. As the game progressed, the shape seemed to change to a 4-2-3-1 still with Chalobah at right back but now with Gallagher at central attacking midfield. The scoreline flattered the Blues, and while there was little cause for encouragement, here are three positives and four negatives from that disgraceful performance.

Chelsea Positives

Benoit Badiashile

Badiashile, while not impeccable on the day, was the best defender on the pitch. He got caught on the ball once and misplaced a number of passes, but his positioning was great all things considered.The 22-year-old Frenchman was one of the few players in dark blue that won an overwhelming majority of his duels. He contested six duels and won five of them, including 2/2 aerial duels. He was superb in his tackling, winning 3/4 he attempted, making three key interceptions and four clearances. He made 10 defensive actions on the night, and had to cover a large chunk of the Blues left flank because Chilwell was pushing so high up.