POTTER’S HORROR RETURN
Chelsea crumble as De Zerbi has lift-off on...
OF all the places for Graham Potter to suffer his first Chelsea defeat and especially one like this. And of all the teams for Roberto De Zerbi to secure his first victory against.
The message from Brighton and their new boss was clear; you can take our manager, left-back and a host of staff but you will not turn up and leave with three points too.
After five games without a win under Potter’s successor De Zerbi, this particular one seemed to be just what Brighton needed.
They played with the fearlessness and belief against big-name opposition that Potter is credited with instilling in them during his time in charge at the Amex.
With the help of a defensive nightmare from Chelsea, Brighton raced into a three goal lead by half-time. And though Potter’s changes at the break brought Chelsea back into it, the bulk of the damage was already done.
De Zerbi’s reign belatedly has lift off and a statement win to start that process too, Brighton’s 100th in the top flight and first ever in the league against Chelsea.
Potter, meanwhile, was left contemplating a first defeat after a nine-game unbeaten start to his Chelsea reign at perhaps the last place he would have wished to suffer it.
The humiliating nature of the first half especially, as Chelsea were tactically outwitted, overwhelmed and crumbled, would have rubbed salt into his wounds.
To his credit, when it would have been easy to and even the better option, Potter did not hide, remaining on the edge of his technical area as his team unravelled in front of him.
It is a shame for him that his players were not as defiant.
Brighton’s newly fuelled dislike of Chelsea was quickly evident as any mention of them, the reading out of their team and their early spells of possession, were all roundly booed.
It eventually changed but any vitriol towards Potter was initially drowned out as he walked out while Brighton’s entrance music played.
Marc Cucurella was not to so fortunate, jeered throughout having handed in a transfer request to force through his summer move to Chelsea before the Londoners then returned for Potter and Co.
Signs that Chelsea were unsettled were present almost instantly, with Thiago
Silva having to produce two goalline clearances with his head. The first was from his own error, but he did not learn his lesson and saw his attempted pass intercepted by Leandro Trossard, who kept his feet to squeeze the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga after trading passes with Kaoru Mitoma.
Brighton were rampant and Chelsea rattled. Kepa came for and missed a cross. Cucurella played a pass straight out of play during a return to forget as he tried to contain Solly March and was substituted just after the hour, all of his misfortune much to Brighton delight.
Mateo Kovacic was booked. And things got even worse for Chelsea when March’s corner was turned into his own net by Ruben LoftusCheek.
Both goals were celebrated with extra enthusiasm, especially by the Brighton supporters near the dugout with one in particular relishing directing hers towards Potter.
‘You’re getting sacked in the morning,’ many others sang to him at that point and later ‘Potter, Potter what’s the score,’ as Brighton’s supporters revelled in their chance to taunt Chelsea.
The visitors badly needed a foothold in the game and Conor Gallagher, twice denied brilliantly by Robert Sanchez, and Kai Havertz had chances to help them do that.
But Brighton were far from done and their first half got even better when Pervis Estupinan, a constant, raiding threat down the left, saw his cross turned into his own net by Trevoh Chalobah.
Half-time could not come soon enough for Chelsea or Potter, who was first down the tunnel.
One thing Brighton would have fully expected was that Potter would take his chance to change things. Chelsea went to a fluid 4-14-1 with LoftusCheek filling in as right -back, while Kepa also had to come off with a foot injury, meaning a first appearance since the start of September for Edouard Mendy.
It had been a busy afternoon for Loftus-Cheek, who had been required to drop in as a centre-back at times during the first half in response to March stretching Chelsea’s defence by dragging Cucurella right out to the touchline, the flanks continuing to be an area of concern for Chelsea.
Almost instantly Potter’s tweaks paid off. Loftus-Cheek made progress down the right and checked back, laying the ball to Gallagher, whose first-time cross was headed in by Havertz.
Further dangerous moments from the repositioned Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek and also Havertz further underlined Chelsea’s renewed threat.
Potter increased it further by introducing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who extended
Sanchez with his first major involvement.
But the danger Brighton posed on the break remained live and only some composed defending from Silva denied substitute Julio Enciso a fourth.
But that eventually came in injury time when Mendy was finally beaten by Pascal Gross.