Alan Shearer sends Maresca sack warning after Chelsea slump to Brighton defeat

Chelsea suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Brighton on Saturday to leave Enzo Maresca under pressure at Stamford Bridge according to Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer

Alan Shearer believes Enzo Maresca will be feeling the heat at Chelsea following Saturday's disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion. The Blues made a bright start against the Seagulls with Enzo Fernandez scoring an early opener.

But things went downhill when Trevoh Chalobah saw red for a challenge on Diego Gomez shortly after half-time. Danny Welbeck then levelled the scores before Maxim De Cuyper put the visitors in front in west London.

Welbeck struck again deep into stoppage time to cap off a miserable afternoon for the Blues. Saturday's defeat made it back-toback defeats for Chelsea after going down at Manchester United the week before.

And Shearer has warned Maresca that his job could be on the line at Stamford Bridge unless he can halt the team's disappointing run of form.

"I think as a Chelsea manager, once you accept that position, you know that you are under pressure if you lose matches – and they've lost two," he told BBC Match of the Day.

"That's the rule of management, I guess, but more so when you are at Chelsea. You can't lose games and they've now lost two so I think you understand the situation."

After the match, Blues boss Maresca said: "It's a tough one because we were in control of the game, we scored one, we scored more.

"We didn't concede nothing, they just said to me also in terms of data, we had so many shots in the first half, 70% of possession, everything was fine.

"And then suddenly, because of our mistake, and then with the red card, again, the plan completely changed. So for me, we played two games, first-half, and then unfortunately, after the red card."

When questioned if they were making life difficult for themselves with the red card, he added: "No, for sure you cannot continue to make mistakes, also because they are big mistakes in terms of game changes, the red card at Manchester United and the red card today.

"Then after that we tried to adjust a little bit with Josh Acheampong coming on, and he was ill over the last week. Josh, in that moment, our two central defenders were Josh and Jorrel [Hato], that both are for sure fantastic players, fantastic talents, but not so many games in the Premier League, so when you are with 10 players it's a moment that you have to manage the situation.

"And then the other one again, the same answer as yesterday, the club didn't mention me nothing, so there is not any news."

The Blues will be desperate to get back to winning ways in the Champions League on Tuesday when they welcome Jose Mourinho's Benfica to Stamford Bridge. They then face Premier League champions Liverpool at home next Saturday.

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