Premier League 2019/20: Chelsea vs Brighton – tactical analysis

Chelsea’s new season under Frank Lampard has been a rollercoaster. They have had decent games, such as the UEFA Super Cup final where they lost in a penalty shootout against Liverpool, and games where the result was not aligned with their performance inside the pitch, like the 4-0 loss against Manchester United.

Although the team is still trying to adapt to Lampard’s style, the defensive performance has been so far their weakest link. Until the last weekend game against Brighton, Chelsea had not been able to secure a single clean sheet during the season, in any of the competitions they are facing.

Meanwhile, Brighton started the season with the right foot beating Watford 3-0 on the first game of the Premier League, but since then they have not been able to win again. In the Carabao Cup, they barely eliminated Bristol Rovers in the first round but were then kicked out of the tournament by Aston Villa in the following round. Chris Hughton was laid off given their weak start to the season.

In this tactical analysis, we go over the tactics employed by both Chelsea and Brighton in the 2-0 victory of the former. Although just starting, in a season that has been so far dominated by Liverpool, Chelsea managed to get closer to European cup places while Brighton is starting to see the relegation zone as they stand 16^th just by goal difference.

Lineups

Chelsea started with a 4-1-4-1, with Jorginho as a sole central midfielder. Surrounded by very offensive players, he was very important in leading the defensive pressure imposed by Chelsea, forcing his teammates to collaborate on the task. Tammy Abraham was located as the sole striker, and although he didn’t score, he had a good game resulting in a constant problem for Brighton defenders.

The visitors played with a 4-4-2 that alternated into a 5-4-1. Sometimes when defending they had two forwards as the most offensive line, with Neal Maupay and Pascal Groß, but as the team was usually located entirely in their half, Groß could move between the offensive and midfield line.