Both Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion aimed to end their year on a high note at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea, now mostly pieced back together following injury and COVID issues, started strong but a late Danny Welbeck goal pegged back Thomas Tuchel’s side that will be wringing its hands over the status of Reece James and Andreas Christensen.
Danny Welbeck Goal Sees Chelsea Drop Points
Points Dropped
Chelsea played well for the most part. Romelu Lukaku was a menace in the attacking end, even getting a goal to continue hir good run of form, and overall Chelsea were creating chances at will. As is all too often the case, they failed to make these chances count and only got one goal in the game.
With a one-goal lead you can never count out the possibility of a comeback and that is exactly what happened as Brighton scored in the 91st minute of the game after creating a number of chances in the second half. Chelsea fans will no doubt view it as two points dropped rather than a point gained.
Injuries Take Tole on Defense
With Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva already on the sidelines, the last thing Chelsea needed was further casualties in their backline. The first half of the game saw Reece James and Andreas Christensen get hurt with James getting hauled off immediately while Christensen made it until half-time before being replaced.
The defensive changes had a clear impact on Chelsea’s game as seasoned veteran Christensen was replaced by youngster Treboh Chalobah. Marcos Alonso was brought on for Reece James, a not-so-ideal switch against a side boasting Tariq Lamptey. We praised Chelsea’s depth as a potential game-changer in the past but even that will be tested if either James or Christensen is out for long spells.
Where Things Stands
With this draw, Brighton & Hove Albion move up to tenth place on 24 points. A strong run could easily see them challenge for a European spot. Chelsea, much like their female counterparts, seem to have lost too much steam in the title race as they now sit eight points behind a Manchester City side that looks absolutely unstoppable.
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