Brighton: Three minutes of play in two matches, Carlos Baleba loses the coach’s trust | OneFootball

A downward spiral for the Cameroonian?

برايتون: ثلاث دقائق لعب في مباراتين، كارلوس باليبا يفقد ثقة المدرب

The trend is worrying for Carlos Baleba. After starting during Brighton’s recent disappointing performances, the Cameroonian midfielder now finds himself relegated to the bench. This Sunday against Nottingham Forest, Baleba came on in the 88th minute, symbolically resuming his role as a substitute. It’s the second match in a row he’s started on the bench, while in previous games where he was a starter, Brighton struggled to secure a win.

His recent run highlights the situation. Over the last four matches, Brighton has claimed three victories and suffered one defeat, but Baleba only played a small part in those wins. Against Crystal Palace, who lost 1-0, he featured for 71 minutes before making way for Diogo Gomez. Versus Aston Villa, he played just 22 minutes before being replaced by James Milner—an early tactical adjustment from the coaching staff. Then against Liverpool, once again in the starting lineup, Baleba lasted 62 minutes before being subbed off for Kaoru Mitoma, and Brighton fell 3-0.

The turning point came on February 21, in the match against Brentford: Baleba played only one minute, coming on in the 90th, while Brighton secured a 2-0 victory. Since then, the team’s collective balance has been found without Baleba in the starting eleven.

Against Nottingham Forest, the trend continued: Baleba remained on the bench, and his late introduction (88th minute) was mostly to help secure an already favorable scoreline. Brighton won 2-1, and Baleba was once again confined to a substitute role.

The Cameroonian is experiencing his first real rough patch in the Premier League. This situation could even cost him his place in the national team.