Chelsea 1-1 Brighton: Albion leave Tuchel & time wasting fans feeling Blue

Every now and again, something beautiful and poetic which those who witnessed it will never forget takes place at a game of football. Chelsea 1-1 Brighton had one such moment.

Joining Nathan Jones getting outpaced down the left wing at Withdean by a squirrel and Danny Cullip screaming so loudly “Pethick you fucking ugly bastard” when his teammate put a pass out of play that the 7,000 packed into the Theatre of Trees heard every word… the father and son time wasters at Stamford Bridge.

The European Champions were hanging on to a barely deserved 1-0 lead over Brighton when the ball was put into the main stand. Rather than hand it back, Chelsea fans decided to keep it to try and slow the Albion’s building momentum.

This culminated in the wonderful sight of the son leathering the ball into his own dad’s face, much to the delight of everyone in the away end.

Even better was to come. In the first minute of stoppage time which the father and son had contributed towards with their antics, Danny Welbeck rose to head home a Marc Cucurella cross.

It was the first goal Brighton had ever scored against Chelsea in a league game at Stamford Bridge and the 1-1 draw was only the second point the Albion have won from this corner of West London.

After bedlam erupted in the away end, the father and son were spotted storming out having made utter fools of themselves. What a glorious way to end a game of football.

If his post match interview was anything to go by, then Thomas Tuchel was as rattled as the father and son by Chelsea drawing 1-1 with Brighton.

The Blues boss did an impressive impression of his compatriot Jurgen Klopp in blaming everyone he could think of for Chelsea’s failure to win, including the referee, VAR, injuries and Covid-19. No mention of how good Brighton had been.

Poor Herr Tuchel only had a bench with £300 million worth of talent including a World Cup winner sitting on it. Hang on a second whilst somebody gets out the world’s tiniest violin for the hardship being suffered by Chelsea at the moment.

In contrast, Graham Potter did not mention once his Brighton absentees. Potter was without his entire first choice back three of Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster and Shane Duffy.

Also missing was arguably the Albion’s Player of the Season so far Leandro Trossard. Who knows what this result might have been if the Albion were themselves at full strength? Tuchel’s comments appeared even more pathetic in light of who the Albion were missing.

Unsurprisingly given the players out, the Brighton starting XI had a strange look to it. Marc Cucurella played as a centre back for quite possibly the first time in his career and Potter crammed in four central midfielders.

Adam Lallana and the outstanding Yves Bissouma sat deeper with Alexis Mac Allister and Jakub Moder more advanced behind Neal Maupay, who led the line as a lone striker.

The real area of interest though came down the Brighton right. Tariq Lamptey was set for a fascinating battle against Reece James, who Tuchel deployed out-of-position at left wing back in the absence of Ben Chilwell.

Brighton had been able to sign Lamptey so cheaply two Januarys ago because he turned down a new contract at the Bridge out of concerns about how much first team football he would get with James ahead of him in the pecking order.

This then was the master against the apprentice. It was fascinating for the 27 minutes it lasted before James limped off, something which did little to improve Tuchel’s mood.

With James no longer present to try and curb the threat posed by Lamptey, Chelsea instead decided their best approach would be to kick Lamptey off the park.

Antonio Rudiger should have seen red for a reckless, two footed lunge off the ground in the worst example of the brutality of the Blues.

Funnily enough, Tuchel glossed over that little incident in his hissy fit over the officials. Everyone inside the Bridge though knew Chelsea were lucky to keep 11 men on the pitch.

In between James limping off and Rudiger committing GBH, Chelsea had taken the lead with a controversial goal. Over came a corner from Mason Mount, Romelu Lukaku and Maupay tussled with Maupay ending up on the ground, leaving Lukaku a free header to power past Robert Sanchez.

Brighton wanted the goal chalked off for a foul on Maupay. Both players were at it however and the 50-50 nature of what was going on would have made it harsh on Chelsea had it been disallowed.

A better question to ask is why was Maupay marking Lukaku in the first place? Who thought that putting a hobbit up against one of the best target men in world football was a good idea?

This was not the first time it has happened either. Cast your mind back to Burnley 1-2 Brighton on the opening day of the season when the towering presence of Ben Mee brushed off Maupay to give the Clarets the lead after only a couple of minutes.

It is little wonder Brighton concede so many goals from set pieces when the shortest man in blue and white (or hyper turq in this case) is marking the biggest aerial threat the opposition have.

The Brighton response to falling behind was magnificent. From Chelsea opening the scoring in the 28th minute, the Blues did not manage another shot until the final 10 minutes.

In that time, Brighton took 17. The possession count told a story too as the Albion ended the game having dominated the ball, recording 52 percent compared to Chelsea’s 48.

Two statistics that again got lost amongst Tuchel throwing his toys out of his pram and trying to claim his side were hard done by. The reality is that Chelsea 1-1 Brighton flattered the hosts as the Albion deserved to win.

That the Albion did not score long before Welbeck’s late intervention was largely due to the brilliance of Edouard Mendy. In the final 15 minutes of the first half, he denied Bissouma, Lallana and Mac Allister.

Things continued in the same fashion in the second half. The Albion knocked the ball around like prime Barcelona with Chelsea unable to lay a glove on their visitors, much to the frustration of an increasingly disgruntled Stamford Bridge.

Moder lifted an effort onto the top of the Chelsea cross bar and Mendy again kept out a Bissouma piledriver. Chelsea had a rare attack snuffed out by some fine last ditch defending from Joel Veltman as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mount looked to combine.

Back up the other end and Maupay had an effort blocked after Mac Allister went around Mendy. Lamptey shot wide and Lallana did little to dissuade the opinion that Potter has somehow coached the finishing ability out of man who used to score frequently for Liverpool and England when lifting the ball over the bar from 12 yards out.

Brighton appeared to become less of a threat as Potter worked his way through his substitutions. Lamptey was withdrawn to save him leaving on a stretcher.

When Mac Allister then made way for Welbeck, the Albion seemed to lose their way a little and it needed Veltman and Burn to block from Lukaku and N’Golo Kante – not a bad substitute to bring on – in the final 10 minutes.

The Albion’s chance to rescue the point they deserved appeared to have passed. That was until the game entered the first 60 seconds of injury time.

Brighton swept the ball from right to left. Cucurella hung up the perfect cross and Welbeck put his header out of the reach of Mendy.

Late, late drama to rescue a point for the third away game in succession from an Albion side who never know they are beaten.

Tuchel cried. The time wasting father and son wiped egg from their face. Brighton fans celebrated in amongst the haze of a blue flare once again.

Whoever is sneaking the pyrotechnics into away games and getting considerable distance when throwing them should consider trialling for the Team GB javelin throwing squad at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Bissouma danced. Potter smiled. Chelsea 1-1 Brighton meant the Albion ended 2021 in 10th place in the Premier League after one of the best calendar years in the club’s history. Roll on 2022.