Chelsea’s Midfield Passivity and Brighton’s Tactical Adjustments
In settled possession, Chelsea adopted a 4-1-5 structure, while Brighton responded with a 4-4-2 mid-block. Minteh would often track Sancho deep, effectively transforming the structure into a defensive back five to prevent numerical overloads.
Chelsea’s defensive approach was passive, which Brighton exploited through fluid rotations. Their stretched backline and ability to penetrate central channels nullified Chelsea’s frontline press. This culminated in Brighton’s equalizing goal, as they seamlessly bypassed Chelsea’s midfield before a fortunate bounce allowed Mitoma to score.
Brighton, in the middle third, would play in a 4-2-4, but it looked nothing like what the numbers would suggest.
— Fahd (@fahdahmed987) February 9, 2025
Again, Mitoma was fluid with his positioning and would aggressively drop deep. Lamptey would advance high down the left flank. Veltman, the RB, was more conservative.… pic.twitter.com/3FO9q0L95E