Frank Lampard: 'Chelsea lucky to lose narrowly to Brighton & Hove Albion'

Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard has admitted that he was furious with his team's performance during the 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon.

Starting the day seven points adrift of their seventh-placed opponents in the Premier League table, Chelsea realistically required all three points to remain in the hunt for European qualification.

The afternoon started positively for Chelsea as they took an early lead through Conor Gallagher, but they deservedly ended up on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline through goals from Danny Welbeck and Julio Enciso.

Although Chelsea can claim to have lost to a wonder strike from the latter, Brighton dominated for large periods at Stamford Bridge, having 26 shots in comparison to Chelsea's eight.

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The Seagulls also had 58% of possession, and both statistics were not lost on Lampard as he was left angry with the performance of his players having made six changes from the encounter at Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Speaking to Match Of The Day, Lampard said: "It's difficult because the scoreline doesn't flatter them, they could have scored more goals. [Brighton] are a very good team first and foremost, they have been working together for a long time and now with the coach and the ideas and the energy and the connection within the team is so good and that's why they are where they are and we're not that.

"To get to that will take time, but the first things on the ladder are the basics that we got wrong today. And that can't be right for us, we have to address that very quickly, because that's not a Chelsea performance.

"Some of our changes were forced, we needed to spread the minutes. We should have a squad where people are chomping at the bit to make impressions. So we were by no means taking it lightly. This is my first home game on my return so there is no way I would do that. But the result is what it is. There is only one way out and that's to work. Because you come against a team like Brighton who are so good in possession the work side of the game is the crucial one. But for me the level today wasn't good enough.

"They could have scored more. Kepa [Arrizabalaga] was fantastic. Conor Gallagher was another who gave every drop individually. But collectively, as a group, we have to accept it. We have to accept what needs to be done to play for this club and try to win games.

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"I've been at the club nine days, I don't like what I saw today. I'm not going to try and dress that up in any way. We have to be really honest about that. There should be a feeling when you play for Chelsea of pride involved. We have to do more for Tuesday."

Chelsea currently trail Real Madrid 2-0 on aggregate and need to overturn that deficit if they want to retain hope of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

The West Londoners remain in 11th spot in the standings, but they are now 10 points behind Brighton having played two matches more than their opponents.

Chelsea, who are also now just six points ahead of 14th-placed Bournemouth, are not back in Premier League action until they host Brentford on April 26.