Blues lose fifth straight league recreation

Chelsea‘s depressing run of type continued on the Amex Stadium as their Champions League aspirations have been dealt one other blow with a 3-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Blues made the journey to the south coast having seen their winless run within the Premier League prolonged to 4, every of these defeats coming with out them scoring a objective.

And that dismal streak was stretched to 5 as Brighton leapfrogged them into sixth within the desk with a genuinely-earned victory. It’s the first time since 1912 that Chelsea have misplaced 5 successive league video games with out scoring.

Ferdi Kadioglu opened the scoring within the third minute and, regardless of failing to take additional benefit of their first-half dominance, the Seagulls accomplished a double over Chelsea as Jack Hinshelwood doubled their benefit within the 56th minute.

Chelsea by no means seemed like mounting a comeback and Danny Welbeck added late gloss to the scoreline as he capped an excellent evening for Brighton in fashion as they moved two factors away from the Blues.

Liam Rosenior’s beleaguered aspect stay seven factors behind fifth-placed Liverpool within the race for the top-five place that will assure qualification for Champions League.

Liverpool can stretch that hole to 10 by beating Crystal Palace on Saturday, that means that Chelsea will seemingly be left hoping Aston Villa can win the Europa League and switch sixth place right into a Champions League spot. After a efficiency through which they didn’t handle a shot heading in the right direction and with Brighton in this sort of type, even a top-six end seems fanciful for Chelsea proper now.

Chelsea lower aside by good Brighton

Brighton began brilliantly and, after Kaoru Mitoma noticed a far-post half-volley brilliantly turned over by Robert Sanchez, the hosts opened the scoring from the ensuing nook. 

The supply to the close to put up was headed away by Jorrel Hato, however solely so far as Kadioglu, whose highly effective drive left Sanchez with no likelihood.

Sanchez was required to supply one other tremendous save to tip over a Jan Paul van Hecke header, however the former Brighton goalkeeper was nearly left red-faced as he despatched a move straight to Carlos Baleba, with solely the intervention of Trevoh Chalobah on the objective line stopping Hinshelwood from making it 2-0.

Chelsea have been considerably improved to start out the second half, however a group lacking Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Estevao by no means actually threatened to discover a approach again into the competition. 

And so they have been caught on the counter following one in every of their sporadic forays ahead, with Brighton breaking quickly after handball claims in opposition to Yankuba Minteh have been waved away.

Sensible work from Georginio Rutter gave Brighton a two-on-two, and he teed up Hinshelwood to double the lead with a composed end.

Kadioglu was then twice denied by a pair of Sanchez saves earlier than Alejandro Garnacho and Marc Guiu noticed alternatives go begging for Chelsea, whose depressing evening was accomplished when Welbeck fired in from Maxim De Cuyper’s pull again.

The FA Cup seems Chelsea’s more than likely path to salvaging one thing constructive from a marketing campaign that’s falling aside. However amid their terrible run of type, a win over Leeds United in Sunday’s semi-final is much from a assure.