Rafael proves Reading’s rock
Alireza’s spectacular lays Frank low
(below)
FRANK LAMPARD could not hide his frustration as he saw his side suffer a real New Years Day hangover.
His young Chelsea team, fresh from their win at Arsenal three days earlier, raced into the lead through skipper Cesar Azpilicueta, and should have put the game out of sight.
But a brilliant goal from Albion sub Alireza Jahanbakhsh six minutes from time earned Brighton a just about deserved point.
And had it not been for a couple of outstanding saves from Kepa Arrizabalaga it might have been a right stinker of a morning after the night before.
The Chelsea boss said: “It was an incredible equaliser but we deserved to win. It was two points dropped.
“If we were ruthless, that game was out of sight. We had control. But we didn’t keep doing what we had done in the first half. We let them feel they were still in the game.
“The Christmas period has been a small showing of our season. Against Tottenham we were fantastic. At Arsenal we showed great spirit but we struggled to break Southampton down and here, in a game where we should have had the mindset to kill it, we don’t. It shows the good and the bad of us.
Brighton got their tactics all wrong at the start, their diamond formation allowing Chelsea way too much space.
Lampard’s men were ahead after nine minutes, when Tammy Abraham saw his shot cleared off the line by Aaron Mooy but Azpilicueta stabbed the ball home.
Chelsea then wasted their chances to put Brighton out before home boss Graham Potter changed tactics.
Gradually, his side fought their way back into the game, and Arrizabalaga had to pull off a fine save from Leandro Trossard.
Chelsea still had the opportunities to kill the game off, as three times Christian Pulisic got away but twice missed the target and was then foiled by Matt Ryan.
Lampard’s men still did not look in too much trouble, with youngster Reece James the standout performer.
Brighton were at least creating chances and when the goal came it was worth waiting for, Jahanbakhsh firing in a bicycle kick that left Arrizabalaga helpless.
The hosts, with their tails up, almost won it, as Neal Maupay swivelled to shoot but Arrizabalaga superbly saved with his legs.
The Brighton boss said: “So far, that is the goal of the decade. I thought of starting Alireza today, but he hadn’t played for a while. We thought we’d use his confidence and energy as a substitute.
“You couldn’t predict what happened but it was a fantastic goal.”
The only down side for the Seagulls was defender Dan Burn suffered a broken collar bone after a hefty challenge by James. Potter added: “It was just a really heavy contact. These things happen.”
READING keeper Rafael Cabral derailed Fulham’s promotion hopes with a string of outstanding saves.
Boss Mark Bowen was full of praise for the Brazilian after his side notched their fourth straight win.
He said: “He has done that week in, week out for us. He’s got unbelievable reflexes and spring.
“He’s played at a high level and we’re lucky to have him.
“We knew we would be under a lot of pressure, which we were, but we took our goal very well and then showed enormous character.”
Rafael’s heroics began in the ninth minute with an amazing triple save that saw him deny Aleksandar Mitrovic and then Bobby DecordovaReid twice.
That proved pivotal as Reading took a 14thminute lead through John Swift before Charlie Adam swept home the second moments after the break.
Fulham boss Scott Parker had seen enough and sent on Ivan Cavaleiro in the hope of rescuing the game. Within four minutes, the Portuguese winger reduced the arrears by curling home from the left.
Rafael then produced two more crucial saves in the final five minutes.
He tipped another Cavaleiro effort against the post and in injury time he flew high to his left to tip a Mitrovic header onto the bar.
Fulham boss Parker said: “At both ends of the pitch again today we just weren’t good enough.
“It was too easy for them to score and at the same time we didn’t capitalise on the immense pressure we put them under.
“We are where we are in the table because we’ve not been consistent.”