Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has downplayed the significance of co-owner Behdad Eghbali and senior club officials entering the dressing room after the Blues’ 3-1 collapse against Brighton, insisting it was “nothing unusual.”
Chelsea’s turbulent start to the Premier League season took another turn on Saturday as the Blues fell to a 3-1 defeat against Brighton at Stamford Bridge — a result that prompted club owners and senior executives to head straight into the dressing room post-match.
Danny Welbeck inspired the Seagulls’ comeback with a second-half brace, cancelling out Enzo Fernandez’s opener before Maxim De Cuyper struck in stoppage time to complete a late turnaround. Trevoh Chalobah’s red card early in the second half proved costly, leaving Chelsea exposed as Brighton capitalised to secure a statement victory.
Following the final whistle, co-owner Behdad Eghbali, sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, alongside Joe Shields and Sam Jewell, were spotted marching into the Chelsea dressing room — a move that quickly raised speculation about unrest behind the scenes.
But manager Enzo Maresca moved quickly to play down the incident. Speaking to reporters, he explained:
They have been inside the changing room, like always. We have an office inside the changing room where after every game we sit and talk about the game. But they did not say anything to the players. It was nothing completely different compared to the rest of the games.
The defeat extends Chelsea’s inconsistent run under Maresca, with red card discipline emerging as a recurring problem. After Robert Sánchez’s sending off against Manchester United last week, Chalobah’s dismissal against Brighton left the Blues once again undermanned in a decisive moment.
Attention now shifts to Europe, where Chelsea face a stern test against José Mourinho’s Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday night. With fans growing restless and results faltering, Maresca will be desperate for his side to show resilience on the continental stage.
