Maresca blasts Chelsea performance after 3-0 Brighton defeat

Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca could not hide his frustration after his rudderless side were thumped 3-0 away by Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday as they failed to get a shot on target.

Kaoru Mitoma, who got the winner last week when the Seagulls dumped Chelsea out of the FA Cup, scored a superb opening goal and Yankuba Minteh added two more as Brighton cruised to an easy win, with their visitors offering little or no threat in attack.

"Probably since I arrived, that is the worst performance, especially in the moment we are in," Maresca told Sky Sports.

"We are fourth in the league, and winning tonight, you can go one point from third and make the gap to the rest bigger, and the performance is not one you want to offer, so we are very upset and sorry for the fans that were here."

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The travelling Chelsea fans had to endure a chilly night on the south coast, and with many of their key attacking players missing through injury, the football their side played did little to warm them.

""For half an hour, I think we were in control but after this moment (Mitoma's goal) we looked like we could concede chances easily, and we struggled to create chances," the 45-year-old Italian explained.

"The reason why is because of the injuries in this moment, especially with the strikers ... important players are out, but we need to find a solution."

Maresca chose to play Christopher Nkunku up front with Cole Palmer just behind him, but neither player did much to threaten the Brighton defence, leaving him disappointed ahead of the trip back to London.

"This is the worst moment since I arrived, but we are still there and we need to finish in the best way," he said.