The media review: Chelsea

Albion’s 4-1 victory over Chelsea provided rich pickings for football writers. The return to Brighton of Graham Potter, his first defeat as their head coach, a first victory in English football for Roberto De Zerbi, our first league win against the Londoners and a febrile atmosphere in the Amex – the inhabitants of the press box could take their pick of any number of promising lines and ways of weaving them together.

In the Sun on Sunday, Dan King expressed a feeling that had been growing around the city, writing: “It had to happen, didn’t it? Graham Potter suffered his first defeat as Chelsea boss back at the Amex.

“’Potter, Potter what’s the score?’ chanted the home fans as Brighton closed out their first win under his replacement, Roberto De Zerbi. And how the Seagulls De Zerbi’d it, after a stunning first-half performance against Chelsea.

“They were 3-0 up at half time after Leandro Trossard scored early and both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Trevoh Chalobah put through their own net. Against Manchester United, the changes Potter made brought his side back into the game and they were good value for a point. This time, there was no rescuing the situation.

“After the Seagulls had flocked all over his team in first half, Potter was given hope by a goal from Kai Havertz in the second half. But Brighton rallied and completed a fabulous afternoon when Pascal Gross added a fourth in stoppage time.”

Adrian Kajumba of the Mail on Sunday caught the defiant mood in the Amex. “Of all the places for Graham Potter to suffer his first Chelsea defeat, especially one like this. And of all the teams for Roberto De Zerbi to claim his first Brighton win against.

“On this most memorable of afternoons for Brighton and their new manager, the message was clear - you can take our manager, left-back and a host of staff but you won’t turn up here and leave with the three points too. There are some things, they might say, that money cannot buy.

“After five games without a win under Potter’s successor De Zerbi this particular one, with all the circumstances surrounding it, seemed to be just what Brighton needed. ‘Fired up’ does not do it or their relentless performance for much of this 90 minutes justice.

“Indeed, Brighton played with the fearlessness and belief against big-name opposition, as they took the game to Chelsea from the off, that Potter is credited with instilling in them during his time in charge at the Amex.

“De Zerbi’s reign belatedly has lift off and a statement win to start that process too, Brighton’s 100th in the top flight and first ever in the league against Chelsea.

“Potter, meanwhile, was left contemplating a first defeat after a nine-game unbeaten start to his Chelsea reign at perhaps the last place he would have wished to suffer it, his former club. The humiliating nature of the first half especially, as Chelsea were tactically outwitted, overwhelmed and crumbled, would have been added salt in his wounds.

“To his credit, Potter did not hide, remaining stood on the edge of his technical area as his team unravelled in front of him. It is a shame for him that his players were not as defiant.”

Perhaps the best intro came from Sunday Telegraph Football Correspondent Sam Wallace, who wrote that “Graham Potter’s side of well-drilled, sharp passers and tactical opportunists left victorious to the acclaim of their supporters, although, unfortunately for Potter himself, that team happened to be the one he no longer manages.

“This was the best of the Brighton that Potter created over three seasons there, when they punched above their weight against the big six – with 10 wins against those clubs in 37 games under their former manager. Returning in charge of one of those big clubs, Potter will have recognised all the features of that approach under his successor Roberto de Zerbi, whose players pounced on the vulnerability of some of Chelsea’s famous names and won the game with three first-half goals.

“The home fans loved it – and their hostility towards Potter and the six staff who departed with him last month, as well as former player Marc Cucurella, increased with every goal. Without a win since Potter left, they may well have feared that the mojo that has kept this club afloat in the Premier League had departed with him. This result was the reassurance that they still have the power to tweak the nose of the great and good, and for De Zerbi it will have been sweet indeed. 

“It was the end of Potter’s nine-game unbeaten run at Chelsea, and a painful reminder that when the big clubs fall, they fall hard. Until last month Potter had spent his coaching career as the underdog and this was a sharp experience of the opposite – delight taken in a bad defeat at the hands of the team that he built.”

Tom Roddy of the Sunday Times was one of the few writers to lead on Albion’s current head coach rather than the man he replaced, writing: “At times he was on his knees, at others leaping into the air. This was the day that the emotional Roberto De Zerbi had longed for – his first win as Brighton and Hove Albion manager. And one that may just have meant even more to their vengeful fans.

“For the Italian coach, this resounding and historic result provided relief; for the supporters, it was pure retribution as victory came against De Zerbi’s predecessor, ending ending Graham Potter’s nine-game unbeaten run since leaving for Chelsea seven weeks earlier in a painful divorce.

“Those wounds are far from healing but this would have helped. De Zerbi’s team were breathtaking at times, clinical in attack and comfortably in control, holding Chelsea at bay as Potter made moves from the sidelines without success.

“The beautiful beast he formed over the past three years turned on its creator and swallowed him whole, much to the delight of those who once cheered his name.”

Jacob Steinberg, one of a band of writers present who are tasked by their papers with keeping a close eye on everything Chelsea, wrote in The Observer that “Brighton were rampant, merciless and utterly brilliant. They exhibited many of the better traits of their former manager, playing with style, intelligence and tactical flexibility, but this was no tribute act. It was Potterball with a De Zerbian flourish and, as Chelsea left the pitch to the sound of mockery ringing in their ears at full-time, nobody inside the Amex Stadium could have made the mistake of thinking that Brighton were pining for the past.

“It was an agonising way for the former Brighton manager’s nine-match unbeaten run to end. Potter’s former employers were out for revenge and they ruthlessly exploited Chelsea’s frailties.

“For De Zerbi, who had gone five games without winning since replacing Potter, it was vindication of his attacking philosophy. There was anger, too. The curious back and forth between these clubs had the home fans baying for blood from the start. There were jeers for Marc Cucurella, vitriol for Potter and his coaches, and the venomous atmosphere lifted Brighton, whose overriding aim appeared to be forcing anyone tempted to call them Chelsea’s feeder club to think again.

“Their football blew Chelsea away. Thiago Silva, whose distribution from the back was poor, made goalline clearances from Leandro Trossard and Pervis Estupiñán during the opening minutes, and the visitors soon cracked. Slack play in midfield allowed Kaoru Mitoma to find Trossard, who danced round Kepa Arrizabalaga and tapped the ball into an empty net.

“De Zerbi has joined a good, smart club. Brighton’s creative juices were flowing and they doubled their lead after more shambolic defending from Chelsea, Solly March’s corner flicking off Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek turning the ball into his own net in the 14th minute. March had the time of his life against Cucurella, who had a dire afternoon against his old team at left centre-back.”

Nizaar Kinsella took up the narrative on the Evening Standard website. “Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s own goal was an unforced error but Trevoh Chalobah’s at the end of the first half was due to terrible defending down the flanks that gave Pervis Estupinan a chance to exploit the space behind Pulisic.

“The next two big tactical decisions from Potter rectified the mess at half-time, switching to a back four with Kepa going off injured in a like-for-like change with Edouard Mendy. Loftus-Cheek played well at right-back and was involved in creating Havertz’s goal early in the second half.

“Chelsea regained control of the game but it was too late with Sterling and Cucurella coming off in the 60th minute - an admission of poor performance and Potter’s starting line up error.

“Pascal Gross' late fourth goal was a consequence of Chelsea chasing the game and throwing on three strikers in a gung-ho approach, compounding their misery.”

In the Sunday Mirror, Alex Smith wrote that “the energy towards Potter and Marc Cucurella, who also dumped the Seagulls for the Blues earlier this season, filtered through and pumped up the Brighton players. Chelsea had never had two players score an own goal in a Premier League match before but Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Trevoh Chalobah changed that by sticking their legs in at the wrong time.

“Potter’s first defeat coincided with his replacement Roberto De Zerbi’s maiden victory, and Albion’s first over the Blues since 1933. The Italian was visibly emotional during the celebrations and explained his demeanour on his tricky couple of months, which saw him leave Shakhtar Donetsk due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“De Zerbi said: ‘I am very happy for myself and my staff because we have been through eight really tough months. I had a great team that Putin decided to take away from me.

“’I found another team and I am thankful to have found these players and this club’.”