Brighton & Hove Albion’s unbeaten begin to the season fell aside in 20 minutes of insanity at Chelsea.
Fabian Hurzeler’s aspect succumbed to a 4-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge largely of their very own making, as England winger Cole Palmer turned the primary participant in Premier League historical past to attain 4 objectives earlier than half-time in a match.
They conceded as many objectives on Saturday within the 20-minute flood from Palmer as that they had within the earlier 470 minutes of league motion this season. Hurzeler can’t do not forget that occurring to certainly one of his groups earlier than. “So, it’s a brand new expertise and I knew there might be not solely constructive experiences,” the previous St Pauli head coach advised The Athletic.
“It’s a nasty expertise. In fact, it was not clear for me that we’d concede 4 objectives in 20 minutes. However it occurred and now it’s about taking duty, making an attempt to analyse it, being sincere additionally to myself if it’s important to adapt one thing or not, after which we must always be taught out of it.”
How did all of it go so badly fallacious and the place does this depart Brighton after a harmful launch to a tough run of fixtures?
Defensive disruption
There was a component of mitigation. Dutch duo Joel Veltman and Jan Paul van Hecke had been the right-sided pair within the again 4 for the primary 5 league video games, wherein 4 objectives had been conceded. That modified as Hurzeler was compelled into amendments to a settled again line. Proper-back Veltman was dominated out by illness, central defender Van Hecke by damage.
Georgi’s first Albion aim! ⚽️ Highlights in partnership with @MPBcom. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/uCHnSyACfT
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) September 29, 2024
Hurzeler mentioned after the match he knew “fairly early” that certainly one of them could be lacking, however the different was “fairly late”, so there was an surprising adjustment. Turkey worldwide and summer time signing Ferdi Kadioglu made his full league debut rather than Veltman, whereas Adam Webster deputised for Van Hecke.
Kadioglu and Webster had been concerned within the passage of play that led to Palmer’s gift-wrapped Twenty first-minute equaliser after file signing Georginio Rutter had headed his first Premier League aim within the seventh minute.
Particular person errors
It was felony to current Chelsea with parity from an attacking throw contained in the opponent’s half, cushioned again to Kadioglu on the volley by Mats Wieffer. Kadiolgu performed a brief move again to Webster — not the wisest alternative as he was closed down by Nicolas Jackson — however Webster nonetheless had time to deal comfortably with the state of affairs.
He managed the ball along with his left foot, however an tried move again to goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was woefully brief, permitting Jackson to race clear and sq. for Palmer to fit right into a gaping aim. Webster’s blunder was indicative of rustiness, having began solely 14 of the final 44 league video games.
Seven minutes later, a mix of Carlos Baleba and Rutter bundled over Jadon Sancho contained in the field for Palmer to place Chelsea 2-1 up from the spot. It was a mushy resolution by referee Peter Bankes, however not mushy sufficient to be overturned by VAR Michael Oliver. Baleba additionally conceded a penalty within the earlier 2-2 draw at house to Nottingham Forest for a problem on Callum Hudson-Odoi. That was mushy as effectively, however Baleba is mixing naivety with wealthy promise.
The 20-year-old midfielder additionally scored his second aim in three video games to cut back the arrears to 3-2 within the thirty fourth minute after Palmer had accomplished a hat-trick in 10 minutes with a free kick from 25 yards. Baleba capitalised on two of Chelsea’s former Brighton gamers making a large number of enjoying out from the again by intercepting a move from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to Moises Caicedo.
The boy is a genius. 💫#CFC | #CHEBHA pic.twitter.com/pIuZIiKKll
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 28, 2024
Having acquired themselves again in competition, Hurzeler’s aspect shot themselves within the foot in comparable vein. Verbruggen’s move went straight to Enzo Fernandez, which led to Palmer restoring Chelsea’s two-goal cushion from Sancho’s move after 41 minutes. Hurzeler mentioned: “We gave the sport away with simple little errors.”
Excessive defensive position
Hurzeler’s tactic of the defence squeezing as much as the midway line has developed right into a theme in the best way his crew are conceding objectives. Though he appropriately identified that none of Palmer’s objectives got here by way of this route, there have been quite a few events when Chelsea’s pacey entrance line got here near punishing the house behind the defence from by means of balls.
Some slender offside calls within the first half and blocks by Webster and Lewis Dunk within the second rescued them from a extra embarrassing scoreline. Hurzeler felt the adjustments had been partly responsible. He mentioned: “You all the time want a connection on the pitch. We made loads of adjustments and there was not the connection we would have liked to to play like this.
“The second factor is it’s not in regards to the excessive line, it’s about getting stress on the ball. In some conditions we didn’t handle to get stress on the ball and that’s why they might play simply behind our again 4. After the sport it’s simple to say, ‘Why don’t you defend in a low block?’ But additionally in a low block we may lose this sport.”
Baleba celebrates Brighton’s second aim (Mike Hewitt/Getty Photos)
Hurzeler believes the good thing about the excessive line, if carried out correctly, is that it makes the crew compact. Whether or not the coverage adjustments might be impacted by how the gamers really feel about it. Requested if a excessive line is non-negotiable, Hurzeler mentioned: “Earlier than I say one thing in public about our type of play, I ought to focus on it with the gamers. How they really feel, in the event that they really feel assured or not.”
The squad is being stretched. Dropping Van Hecke, Veltman and Simon Adingra added to the absences by means of damage of Joao Pedro (ankle), James Milner (hamstring), Matt O’Riley (ankle) and Solly March (knee). Summer season signing Brajan Gruda is shut to creating his debut after calf bother, however the former Mainz attacker was not within the squad at Chelsea that started a troublesome sequence of fixtures.
Tottenham are on the town on Sunday. That’s adopted by an extended journey to Newcastle after the October worldwide break, a go to from Wolves, Liverpool house and away in back-to-back video games within the Carabao Cup and the league, then Manchester Metropolis at house. Brighton had gone seven video games unbeaten in all competitions earlier than the setback at Chelsea, however haven’t received within the league for over a month. The resilience of Hurzeler’s squad faces a extreme take a look at.
(Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Photos)
