Blues surrender lead to continue their alarming slump in form with 1-1 draw at Brighton
\n BRIGHTON
\nChelsea manager Thomas Tuchel blamed fatigue for an alarming slump in form that continued with a 1-1 draw at Brighton on Tuesday.
\nThe European champions have won just one of their last seven Premier League games to realistically end their title challenge and leave the third-placed Blues looking over their shoulder at the contenders for a top-four finish.
\nFor the second meeting with the Seagulls in 20 days, Chelsea surrendered the lead.
\nThe visitors went ahead through Hakim Ziyech\u2019s snapshot which caught Robert Sanchez in the Brighton goal by surprise.
\nBut Adam Webster\u2019s towering header earned Brighton a fully deserved point.
\n\u201cYou can see we are mentally and physically tired,\u201d said Tuchel after his side\u2019s 15th game since the start of December.
\n\u201cWe knew they were well prepared, they had more time and less games to prepare this match.\u201d
\nChelsea host Tottenham on Sunday in their final league game for nearly a month due to an international break and their commitments at the Club World Cup in February.
\nAnd Tuchel is hoping he will be able to give his squad the rest they need to come back stronger in the final months of the campaign.
\n\u201cThe boys need some days off, there is no other solution,\u201d he added.
\n\u201cIn the moment it is difficult to be too harsh on our players because I know what is going on.\u201d
\nTuchel had been stinging in his criticism of record signing Romelu Lukaku after a 1-0 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday, but kept faith with the Belgian and Ziyech in attack as Timo Werner and Kai Havertz were again left on the bench.
\nBut there was little to impress the German once more as Lukaku and Ziyech got into a heated discussion during the first half and both were replaced after the break.
\nBrighton have only won twice in their last 16 league games themselves, but once again just lacked the cutting edge to their impressive build-up play.
\n\u201cI was really pleased and proud of the performance,\u201d said Brighton boss Graham Potter.
\n\u201cWe could work the goalkeeper a bit more, but apart from that we had everything.\u201d
\nAfter a bright opening, the hosts were hit with a sucker punch when Ziyech justified his inclusion with a powerful low effort that Sanchez should have done better to save down to his left.
\nCallum Hudson-Odoi wasted a great chance to double Chelsea\u2019s lead just before the break when he was put through by Lukaku in one of the his few productive moments.
\nBrighton were again faster out of the blocks after half-time and Kepa Arrizabalaga did brilliantly to turn Alexis Mac Allister\u2019s deflected shot onto the post.
\nBut Chelsea\u2019s reprieve did not last long as from the resulting corner, Webster was given a free run to power home from Mac Allister\u2019s cross.
\nLukaku had Chelsea\u2019s one clear chance to retake the lead when Sanchez made amends for his earlier error by blocking the ball into the side-netting.
\nChelsea\u2019s record signing was then replaced as Tuchel turned to his compatriots Havertz and Werner for the final quarter.
\nThe German international duo were just as ineffective as Brighton held out comfortably and could even have snatched all three points with more composure on the counter-attack.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Blues surrender lead to continue their alarming slump in form with 1-1 draw at Brighton BRIGHTON Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel blamed fatigue for an alarming slump in form that continued with a 1-1 draw at Brighton on Tuesday. The European champions have won just one of their last seven Premier League games to realistically end […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-239663","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n