Enzo Maresca admitted Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to Brighton completely changed once Trevoh Chalobah was sent off early in the second half. The Blues had dominated the opening 45 minutes, taking the lead through Enzo Fernández while enjoying 70% possession and limiting Brighton to almost nothing. Maresca described the contest as “two different games” — one where Chelsea were in control and another where the plan collapsed following the dismissal.
Costly Mistakes and Discipline Issues
The Chelsea head coach acknowledged that repeated red cards are making life unnecessarily difficult for his team. He highlighted Chalobah’s sending off against Brighton and a similar incident at Manchester United, stressing that such errors are “big mistakes” that directly change matches. Maresca explained that once they were reduced to ten men, the situation became far harder to manage.
Young Defenders Thrown Into Pressure
After the red card, Maresca turned to Josh Acheampong, who had been unwell in the build-up, to help cover in defence. Alongside Jorrel Hato, Chelsea finished the game with two highly talented but inexperienced centre-backs. Maresca praised both players’ potential but admitted the lack of Premier League experience made the challenge greater, particularly when down a player.
No Change on Axel Disasi
Asked whether sidelined defender Axel Disasi could be recalled to ease Chelsea’s defensive shortage, Maresca gave a firm response. He said the club had not communicated any change in Disasi’s status and reiterated that “there is no news” regarding the Frenchman’s return.
