Hughton: Scoreline Not A Fair Reflection

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton highlighted the quality shown by Chelsea in their 4-0 victory at the Amex, but felt the scoreline wasn’t a true representation of how the game was played out.

A brace from Eden Hazard and goals each for Willian and Victor Moses secured all three points for the Blues, and Hughton felt the timing of the first two strikes gave his team an uphill battle from the sixth minute onwards.

He said, “We didn't do ourselves any favours by being 2-0 down as early in the game as what we were.

“At that stage, they were in the ascendancy and the fear is then that it will become three or four. In full flow, they are a super team, but I don't think the result is a fair reflection of the game.

“We had some really good periods, but the difference between the two teams was two appeals that you need against a team like Chelsea, the quality they’ve got in the final third and the difficulty we’ve got with scoring goals at the moment.

“What I have to think about at this moment is that we go into a cup game next, and I need to make sure I’ve got a group of players that look at the positives.

“There were a lot of positives to take from today, but it wasn’t like us to concede the goals that we did.”

After conceding twice from set-pieces against West Bromwich Albion last weekend, all four goals came from open play against this afternoon’s visitors, and Hughton admitted his team found it tough to deal with Chelsea’s attacking play.

“Three of the goals we certainly could have done better for, and those were areas that we knew about, with the quality that they’ve got.

“It was unlike us, because in general play and open play, we’ve been very good in not conceding. But we were up against a different level of player today, and we found it hard.

“We battled in there and showed great resilience at 2-0 down. They were in the ascendancy but we certainly have them a game in that second half. But what you can’t then do, is let it become three or four.

Ezequiel Schelotto had two penalty appeals turned down by Jonathan Moss in the first half, and Hughton was disappointed at the referee’s decisions, as the Seagulls looked to halve the deficit before the break.

“For me, they were both penalties. The first one, I thought it was at the time. The second one, I wasn’t sure.

“On any referee decision, when the goalkeeper comes out, there’s every chance that there’s going to be a decision to be made.

“What you have to do is get yourself in a position where you can see. If the referee says that he didn’t see it, then it’s not one that I don’t believe.

“But when you’re Brighton, particularly in the form that we’re in, playing against Chelsea, who were 2-0 up, you need some things to go your way - and we had two that didn’t.”