Chelsea v Brighton: The Blues view with Absolute Chelsea

When we had our pre-game talk with Absolute Chelsea ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion’s trip to Stamford Bridge, the European Super League was barely even a thing.

Time waits for no man in football and over the past 36 hours, the concept of a closed-shop competition for only the clubs who consider themselves to be the ‘elite’ has gathered so much momentum that it seems almost unstoppable.

This interview then comes from a simpler time, when all Chelsea were concerned about was winning the FA Cup and the Champions League, and our main talking points were how good Thomas Tuchel has been since arriving and why Graham Potter could make a good Blues boss of the future. Yes, you read that last part right.

So, escape the madness of the European Super League for a minute as we talk to Joel Middleton from Absolute Chelsea ahead of Blues v Brighton.

The obvious place to start when talking about Chelsea is with the manager. Did you agree with the decision to sack Frank Lampard and what have you made of Thomas Tuchel so far?
I think with the benefit of hindsight that’s a resounding yes. At the time, I wasn’t so sure. I was definitely plagued with rose-tinted glasses given the good will Frank has built up with us.

My sadness subsided quicker than most as I was a Thomas Tuchel man long before he joined the club. Sadness turned to excitement, and the rest speaks for itself.

An A+ on his report card. I hang off his every word in press conferences, and the difference between the confidence his words inspire and his predecessor is night and day – as are the results!

Chelsea were heavily tipped to be involved in the title race but never really made much impression. Why do you think that was?
It is a tough one to answer because I don’t subscribe to the “a team needs to gel theory”. I think you also have to remember that we were 17 games unbeaten and top of the league, before the spectacular implosion.

Perhaps the players had stopped playing for the manager, but ultimately the buck falls with Lampard and his inexperience at getting a team out of a rut.

You still have the Champions League and FA Cup to play for. How do you fancy your chances in those competitions?
Well, I think we’ve got the Champions League to play for… I guess time will tell on that front given everything that has happened since Sunday evening.

If that goes ahead – and it looks like a big if and the moment – then I do expect us to do the double. That might sound arrogant, but we’re a better team in the big moments than Leicester and I’ve tipped us to win the Champions League since our Quarter Final draw.

That hasn’t changed. We are better than Real Madrid. If we face Manchester City in the final, we’ve shown we can beat them already. If we face Paris Saint Germain in the final, it’ll be Tuchel’s ultimate revenge against his former employer.

Who have been Chelsea’s stand out performers this season. Any disappointments?
Edouard Mendy and Thiago Silva have been consistently excellent, whilst it goes without saying that Mason Mount stands head and shoulders above the rest. Honourable mention to the surprise package in Andreas Christensen.

Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech by far and away the disappointments. Mitigating circumstances aside, I wouldn’t lose sleep over shipping them out in the summer. I’d probably drive them to the ferry.

What does Tuchel need to do in the transfer market this summer to have you challenging Manchester City next season?
Not as much as you may think. I think it’s apparent to every man and his dog that we need a world-class centre forward. Whether that’s Erling Haaland, Romelu Lukaku or Harry Kane, I’m not fussy – but I am fussy that it should be one of those three.

Elsewhere a back-up winger – Raphinha or Jonas Hofmann – would be ideal to cover for injuries, and another midfielder would be welcome. Jude Bellingham or Aurélien Tchouaméni would do nicely. Also, keep Marc Guehi!

What weaknesses in this Chelsea side could Brighton have joy exploiting at Stamford Bridge?
I think a good place to start is to try and swarm Jorginho, forcing him into making errors. We saw West Brom do that to devastating effect and the result was a Thiago Silva red card and a 5-2 Baggies win. I love Jorginho and I wouldn’t swap him for the world, but his mobility is a well-documented trade off for his metronomic passing ability.

We last met on the opening day of the season which seems a very long time ago and it ended in a 3-1 win for Chelsea at the Amex. What did you make of the game that evening?
It was no classic, was it? I remember it vividly for two reasons. The first is Ruben Loftus-Cheek putting in one of the worst performances I’ve seen in a Chelsea shirt of anyone ever.

The second was THAT Reece James strike, which bailed us out big time. My excitement for the new season dissipated a lot that night, and I feel Brighton were hard done by with a 3-1 scoreline that flattered to deceive.

Finally, what is the Absolute Chelsea prediction for Chelsea v Brighton please?
I guess now would be a good point to say that I love Brighton and I worship Graham Potter as a footballing Messiah. Truly, my ‘second team’ if such a concept does exist.

A wealth of talent playing football the right way with a manager I would want at my club if not for Thomas Tuchel. With that said, as a lot of Brighton fans will know, the xG Gods do not shine favourably on the Seagulls. Given your troubles in front of goal, I’m going for 2-0 to Chelsea.

Thanks to Joel for taking the time to speak to us. If you want to keep to date with Blues’ fans thoughts on the European Super League and what it might mean for Brighton and the rest of the top flight, then be sure to check out Absolute Chelsea over on their website or the Absolute Chelsea Twitter account.