3 Things We Liked (And 2 Things We Didn’t) From Chelsea’s Win Against Brighton

It wasn’t an entirely convincing performance from Chelsea in the 3-1 victory against Brighton last night but it was never going to be an easy match to start the season.

Manager Frank Lampard had some dilemmas in his team selection with many of his new signings not fit to play and the result was a starting line up which we may not see too often this campaign.

Kai Havertz only had a few training sessions with the squad and looked well short of match fitness so his display shouldn’t be scrutinised too closely. There are also signs that the team still needs more time to gel together, especially with more new players to be introduced into the starting line up in the coming weeks. So, what did we learn from the performance?

Press the next page as we go through three things we liked (and 2 things we didn’t) from the win at the Amex.

Werner looks the part already

The German international clearly offers something very different from Frank Lampard’s other two striking options in Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham.

Werner can strike fear into opposing defences with his pace, and he will look to get in behind at every opportunity. He was very sharp to win the penalty for the opening goal and it surely won’t be long before he gets his first goal for the club.

Kepa’s replacement can’t come soon enough

The Spaniard’s failure to keep out Leandro Trossard’s long-range effort was certainly another blot on his copybook but there were also concerns in other areas. He flapped at one corner and he doesn’t command his penalty box.

It was yet another disappointing display from Kepa, who would have known going into the match that he needed to put in a good performance with Edouard Mendy expected to sign from Rennes imminently.

James’s display suggests a special season could be ahead

Chelsea had started the second half pretty poorly and Trossard’s equaliser was deserved on the balance of play. However, James’ howitzer brought the game back under the Blues’ control within 100 seconds of conceding.

We shouldn’t expect goals like that every week from the right-back but his quality on the ball is not in doubt. Cesar Azpilicueta may have trouble getting back into the team after that display.

Alonso showed why Chilwell was needed

The Spaniard lacked the pace and defensive nous to deal with Brighton’s right wingback Tariq Lamptey, who at one stage nutmegged him before delivering a cross into the box.

Playing four at the back, Alonso is ill-suited to the system and fans will be keenly anticipating Ben Chilwell’s return to fitness after a heel injury.

Barkley made a difference

The 26-year-old is justifiably criticised for his inconsistency but, as Lampard said after the game, the midfielder made the required impact after replacing Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the second half.

Barkley came deeper for the ball and looked to link up play between midfield and attack. Were he able to keep up his performance levels, he would present a greater threat to other players in the Chelsea squad who play in the same position.

You may also be interested in reading:

The Three Pros And Two Cons To Chelsea Signing Thiago Silva
Chilwell V Reguilon: Who Would Be A Better Signing For Chelsea? We Compare 4 Stats
Four Reasons Why Signing Kasper Schmeichel Would Be An Inspired Move By Frank Lampard
Four Centre Back Options That Lampard Could Consider As Chelsea Look To Revamp Their Defence
The Five Reasons Chelsea Are After Jan Oblak As Journalist Confirms Club “Are Interested’ In £108m Keeper
The Four Big Tactical Decisions Lampard Will Need To Make Ahead Of The Game Against United
The Four Reasons Why Lampard Wants Declan Rice To Play In Defence
Two Pros And Three Cons To Signing Declan Rice As Lampard Speaks Out On Move For West Ham Star

Or

You can visit our blog home page to read more news about Chelsea here