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For many Chelsea fans, Tuesday night’s performance against Brighton was their side’s worst performance of the season. One player in particular, Robert Sanchez, endured another dismal display.
While the result might have been what many had expected, given Chelsea’s recent form and Brighton’s home form, it was the performance that was alarming, and the apparent lack of fight or application.
Liam Rosenior himself said that three or four players in Chelsea’s starting XI lacked the determination to go and put in a performance. Just three minutes in, and Chelsea were already losing to The Seagulls.
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A fifth consecutive defeat in the Premier League for the first time in 33 years, and the first time they have done so without scoring since 1912. Sanchez was at fault a number of times for the 3-0 hammering.
Robert Sanchez will not have enjoyed returning to Brighton
It is quite clear that from early on in his reign, Rosenior has not fancied Sanchez. The Chelsea manager had his head in his hands when Sanchez lost the ball on the edge of his area during defeat to Arsenal.
When Filip Jorgensen is fit, Rosenior has picked him against Aston Villa, PSG in the first leg and even Pafos. But without Jorgensen and with Mike Penders on loan, Rosenior is forced to pick Sanchez.
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Sanchez often gave the ball away, and it’s not the first time. Sky Sports reporter Chris Reidy was at The Amex on Tuesday night, and he shared how Brighton’s fans were giving their old stopper lots of stick.
“I’m sure Sanchez has kicked the ball out of play nearly as much as he’s found a Chelsea player with his passing. The Brighton fans have really been giving it to him behind his goal in the second half.”
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In the starting XI on Tuesday night, Chelsea had Sanchez, Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo. Joao Pedro, another former Brighton player, was ruled out before the game along with England star Cole Palmer.
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Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP via Getty Images
And yet, despite often raiding Brighton for their best players, Chelsea are a worse side than Fabian Hurzeler’s men as things stand. Brighton taught Chelsea a lesson on Tuesday night, it was embarrassing.
What must be on the minds of Sanchez, Cucurella and Caicedo – having joined Chelsea and believed it to be a step up from Brighton – only to return to The Amex and get a hammering? They are part of the issue.
Now, Chelsea have a decision to make. Whether to keep another former Brighton man, in Rosenior, at the helm ahead of a huge FA Cup semi-final against in-form Leeds United at Wembley on Sunday afternoon.
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