Positives Brighton can take even from defeat at Chelsea

With Chelsea playing so well for a change, maybe we should not have been surprised at the manner in which they took down Brighton at Stamford Bridge?

Nicolas Jackson has been in good form. Jason Sancho is a fantastic player. Then of course they have Cole Palmer, a unique and unbelievable talent.

Imagine if Palmer had played more for England in the Euros this summer? To score four goals in one half of football made a statement to Gareth Southgate and Pep Guardiola, whose club Manchester City sold Palmer for only £40 million last year.

I had a rather different perspective to those Albion supporters at Chelsea. We were at a special family friend’s 80th birthday lunch on Saturday afternoon at the Grumpy Mole in Brockham, Surrey.

This meant I did not get to watch the game back until the extended highlights appeared on the website. Already knowing what was coming meant I could not be surprised and allowed me to see what positives there were without being overwhelmed by Palmer and the rest.

In terms of keeping up with goings on live whilst at the lunch, I had a cunning plan. I took my Galaxy Earbuds with me, subtly wearing one so I could listen whilst munching away and chatting with friends.

The Earbuds turned out to be less subtle than I thought. A fellow guest further down the table said to my wife: “I didn’t realise Tony was deaf! I am glad my husband’s hearing aid is not white like the on his ear!”

My wife replied, laughing: “He isn’t deaf, he’s listening to the Brighton against Chelsea game on the radio.” My wife told me later the guest did not look impressed.

Nobody else realised what I was up to until the seventh minute when Georginio Rutter gave the Albion the lead. I accidentally spat a prawn across the table in delight, nearly into Aunt Sally’s bowl of soup.

It was a fine goal and had it counted for more, I think it would have received more praise for coming the way Fabian Hurzeler wants to play.

Adam Webster hit a great ball up the channel to Ferdi Kadioglu. The Albion next worked possession to the left and got forward, where the pressing of Carlos Baleba caused the ball to fly high into the air.

Robert Sanchez tried to collect it but ended up picking daisies instead. Rutter leapt into the air and headed home.

From that point on, it became the Palmer Show. He hit the post and then took the scoreline to 1-1 in the 21st minute after an unselfish cross from Jackson.

The equaliser might not have occurred, however, had Adam Webster not under hit his pass back to Bart Verbruggen. You cannot expect to make that kind of error in the Premier League and get away with it.

Next we saw the risk which comes with the high defensive line Brighton play. Chelsea broke through but thankfully an offside flag went up against Sancho to disallow goal.

To see Tottenham thrash Manchester United 3-0 on Sunday was to be concerned about what might happen when Spurs visit the Amex next. Are Brighton fast enough at the back to play so high? Something needs to be done if the Albion are not to lose again this coming weekend.

Chelsea were awarded a soft penalty which had me choking on my catch of the day. It did not matter to Palmer, who sent Bart Verbruggen the wrong way to give the home team the lead.

Palmer soon made it 3-1 with the best goal of the game. Pervis Estupinan was yellow carded for bringing down Noni Madueke on the break, giving Chelsea a free kick.

The foul took place at least 10 yards further back from where Palmer set up his free kick. He beat Verburggen in stunning style, putting the ball into the very top hand corner of the goal.

But would he have been able to do so from 35 yards out were the foul actually happened? Probably not. A tough one to take for the Albion.

Brighton showed great spirit and determination in response. Their heads did not drop and one of the shining lights of the season so far pulled another goal back.

Once again, it came from the Hurzeler press. Baleba raced into the Chelsea box, grabbed an attempted pass from Sanchez to Moises Caicedo and fired into the back of the net.

Five goals in 34 minutes. I nearly choked on my mushy peas. Of all the games to be listening to whilst out for lunch.

Sanchez did some redeeming for his two earlier errors, saving from Baleba to prevent it becoming Chelsea 3-3 Brighton.

The Albion were causing plenty of problems going forward and were by no means out of the game. But wrestling a point or even three become more difficult when Palmer scored his fourth of the first half with three minutes remaining.

An inadequate pass from Verbruggen gave the ball away. Sancho found Palmer and he slotted home at the near post to make it 4-2 to the Blues.

I like ice cream ordinarily. However, that goal proved enough to put me right off any dessert. Who knew what was to come in the second half?

To my amazement, there were no further goals. Kaoru Mitoma should have been awarded a penalty but referee Peter Bankes waved it away, even though Chelsea received that almost identical one in the first half.

Webster made a fantastic clearance off the line and Palmer shot wide after another error from Verbruggen trying to pass out from the back.

The full time whistle brought the curtain down with six goals scored. Chelsea hit the woodwork, had three disallowed for offside and missed a couple more.

It may not have been great defensively, but there were plusses going forward in the way the Albion created chances. It is also rare that Brighton will come up against a player as good or in the mood Palmer was at Stamford Bridge.

I left the Grumpy Mole as a Grumpy Seagull. Cut the mistakes out against Spurs and hopefully we will all be Happy Albion fans again.

Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony