Page 5 - Brighton & Hove 1-2 Chelsea: 5 Talking Points & Tactical Analysis

Chelsea beat Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium with a 2-1 victory. Goals from Pedro and Eden Hazard sealed the deal for the Blues, who continue their charge towards an exigent top 4 race. Solly March scored the solitary goal for the Seagulls.They stamped their presence on proceedings and never looked back until Brighton found the back of the net. With over 68% possession in the first hour or so, the Blues looked like they were on the driver's seat, but March's goal infused a sense of panic amongst their ranks.In the end, they were made to work hard for the win, but Maurizio Sarri and co. did churn out a result. After Arsenal dropped all three points against Southampton, Chelsea are now three ahead of Arsenal.Here are the major talking points from Chelsea's narrow 2-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.#1 Chelsea dominate early on, Pedro opens the scoringJust how good was that pass?Right from the outset, Chelsea started just as they always do - with possession and purpose. While they reprocessed their claim on the ball repeatedly, not always did they look sharp until the goal.Starting from Marcos Alonso to a misplaced pass from David Luiz, the Blues didn't rack up as many passes in their build-up as they would have preferred. Brighton on the other hand, could barely keep hold of it.Marcos Alonso particularly was abysmal in the opening stages. He fouled Knockaert, which could easily have been given as a yellow. The Spaniard was beaten down his side easily too often. He also surrendered possession enough number of times.After some waiting, Pedro opened the scoring for his side; his 6th goal of the season, two more than his tally in the whole of last term. Once again, it was Eden Hazard being the architect.Although he hadn't scored in seven games until the Chelsea talisman has now created four goals in as many games. He picked up the ball on the edge of the box, drove forward and beat a challenge. Just when you thought he will pull the trigger from a narrow-angle, he spotted Pedro's run down the far post and found him exquisitely.

Brighton & Hove 1-2 Chelsea: 5 Talking Points & Tactical Analysis | Premier League 2018-19

#5 Eden Hazard is simply world-class