Brighton, Feb 15 (NationPress) Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca found it challenging to hide his disappointment following his team's 0-3 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion on Friday, referring to it as the team's worst performance since he took charge.

Chelsea failed to produce a single shot on target on a night to forget. Kaoru Mitoma, who netted the crucial goal the prior week that saw Brighton eliminate Chelsea from the FA Cup, initiated the scoring with a stunning strike. Yankuba Minteh subsequently contributed two additional goals, allowing Brighton to secure an easy victory while Chelsea posed little to no attacking threat.

“Probably since I arrived, that is the worst performance, especially given the current situation,” Maresca told Sky Sports.

“We stand fourth in the league, and a victory tonight would have brought us within one point of third place while widening the gap to the others, yet the performance displayed was not what we wished to present. We are incredibly upset and apologize to the fans who made the trip.”

The Chelsea fans who journeyed to the south coast braved a chilly evening, and with several key attacking players absent due to injury, the uninspired football did little to boost their morale.

“For the first half hour, I believe we controlled the game, but after that moment (Mitoma's goal), we seemed vulnerable to conceding chances and struggled to create our own,” the 45-year-old Italian articulated.

“The root cause is the current injuries, particularly among the strikers... crucial players are unavailable, but we must devise a solution.”

Maresca chose to utilize Christopher Nkunku as the central striker, with Cole Palmer positioned just behind him, yet neither player managed to threaten the Brighton defense significantly, leading to the manager's frustration as they prepared to return to London.

“This is the worst moment since I arrived, yet we remain in contention and must conclude the season strongly,” he stated.