“So, for me, we played two games: the one in the first half and then, unfortunately, another after the red card.”
Enzo Maresca summed up Chelsea’s 3-1 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion in black-and-white terms.
The Blues were cruising against the Seagulls after Enzo Fernandez had put the Club World Cup winners ahead midway through the first half. And many expected the west London outfit to go on to claim all the spoils.
Disaster, though, struck in the 53rd minute. Trevoh Chalobah was given his marching orders following VAR intervention for denying a goalscoring opportunity. It was Chelsea’s second successive red card in Premier League matches. The loss to the south coast side marks what has been a sub-par start to the campaign.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Chelsea’s defensive issues deepen
Saturday’s loss to Brighton means Chelsea have won only three of their eight competitive matches this season. And one of those came against Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup. Even then, they had to come from behind to beat the League One side.
Since the September international break, Chelsea have conceded at least two goals in four of five matches. And things don’t get much easier for the Blues in the coming week. Indeed, they take on Jose Mourinho’s Benfica in midweek before hosting Liverpool on Saturday.
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Maresca has recently lost both Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana to injury while Levi Colwill is a long-term absentee. Chalobah’s sending off on Saturday doesn’t aid the Blues. It’ll be a while before they rediscover the resolve that saw them conceded just one goal in the opening three games of the season. The Blues conceded just 0.33 goals per game before the September international break. That average is now up to 2.2 since returning.
- Chelsea goals conceded per game before international break: 0.33
- Chelsea goals conceded per game after international break: 2.2
Key defensive metrics increase is… bad?
It’s also proven a testing period for Chalobah. The Englishman has been forced to work with no fewer than four centre-back partners in the Premier League this season. He’s one of six outfield players to have started every league game so far. Having been unable to strike up a consistent understanding with a defensive teammate, Chalobah has taken it upon himself to become a lynchpin in the Blues backline.
As such, this means that Chalobah’s key defensive metrics have increased this season from last. He’s now making 1.9 tackles per 90 minutes this season compared to 1.0 per 90 following his return to Stamford Bridge at the turn of the year. Interceptions per 90 (1.4) have remained steady, but Chalobah is making more clearances per 90 (6.2 to 4.8). And he boasts a better ground duel success rate (76.92% to 58.65%) in 2025-26.
Conversely, this could also come down to Chalobah trying to do too much to make up for the fact he’s been unable to build up a steady centre-back partnership. Having started alongside Adarabioyo, Fofana, Josh Acheampong and Jorrel Hato in the Premier League this season, the 26-year-old doesn’t perhaps have the trust of his teammates to carry out these duties.
As such, fans have witnessed a more active Chalobah but not in the way they would have hoped. A centre-back seeing his defensive figures increase suggests opponents are finding it easier to break through the midfield, thus forcing Chalobah into action more frequently. And, as has been proven in recent weeks, it’s not sustainable.
- Chalobah tackles per 90 for Chelsea in 2024-25: 1
- Chalobah tackles per 90 for Chelsea in 2025-26: 1.9
- Chalobah clearances per 90 for Chelsea in 2024-25: 4.8
- Chalobah clearances per 90 for Chelsea in 2025-26: 6.2
Increased responsibility in possession
For a team of Chelsea’s stature, they are routinely expected to dominate opponents. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that they rank second for possession (61.2%) in England’s top tier this term. Levi Colwill would nominally have been the distributor from the back. But this responsibility has been shifted onto Chalobah following Colwill’s season-ending ACL injury.
It’s another area, though, where Chalobah has seen a rise in the primary distributing metrics, notably in that passes per 90 has risen exponentially from 49.9 to 77.4. Pass accuracy (86.29% to 90.82%), long passes attempted per 90 (3.8 to 6.2), long pass success rate (40.98% to 51.52%) and forward passes per 90 (18.4 to 20.4) have also seen increases from last season with Chelsea compared to 2025-26.
The dismissal against Brighton, then, proved a mere blip on the record books. Chalobah has been working harder and now has increased responsibilities on the ball in the absence of Colwill, the latter of which he has undertaken well.
- Chalobah passes per 90 for Chelsea in 2024-25: 49.9
- Chalobah passes per 90 for Chelsea in 2025-26: 77.4
- Chalobah long passes per 90 for Chelsea in 2024-25: 3.8
- Chalobah long passes per 90 for Chelsea in 2025-26: 6.2
- Chalobah forward passes per 90 for Chelsea in 2024-25: 18.4
- Chalobah forward passes per 90 for Chelsea in 2025-26: 20.4
Chelsea’s recent poor run of form hasn’t looked kindly on Chalobah, while his red card against Brighton ultimately swung the tie in the Seagulls’ favour. However, he hasn’t been aided by inconsistent selections at the back, which has forced Chalobah into action more frequently than last season.
In the midst of a defensive crisis, Chalobah’s suspension against Liverpool this coming weekend is a blow. How they adapt to his absence could prove key as the Blues look to head into the international break on a high.