LONDON, Dec 30 — Defender Cesar Azpilicueta rued Chelsea’s failure to kill off Brighton & Hove Albion after the visitors fought back to salvage a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Chelsea went ahead through Romelu Lukaku but conceded an injury-time equaliser to Danny Welbeck.

"We left them alive and in the last minute to concede a goal and drop two points is very frustrating. We are not happy at all,” Azpilicueta said.

"We knew Brighton make things difficult and we know they would press us high, and they would leave us big chances also for us, so we catch them in a few quick attacks where we could have been more clinical.”

The draw was Chelsea’s third in their last four Premier League games and Azpilicueta pointed to the club’s personnel issues as the cause for their dip in form.

Chelsea have lost defender Ben Chilwell to a long-term knee injury and have had Lukaku, Timo Werner, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and others sidelined by injuries and Covid.

"We left a few injuries behind, and the Covid-19 situation, and a few points on the road where we could have managed to get them — that punishes you,” Azpilicueta said.

"It is a tough moment, but we need to stick together and dig in.”

Chelsea host Liverpool on Sunday. — Reuters