- Chelsea 1-3 Brighton : Enzo 25’ – Welbeck 77’ 90+10’, De Cuyper 90+2
For Chelsea, the weeks keep blending into the same frustrating pattern: another red card and another defeat this one carrying potentially catastrophic consequences.
Yet the game had begun so differently. Far from the gloom of the second half, Chelsea started brightly against Brighton. They controlled possession, pressed effectively, and combined fluidly. Looking sharp after their loss at Old Trafford, the Blues confirmed their strong start when Enzo Fernández struck the opener.
But Chelsea’s intensity dipped, and soon individual errors crept in. In the 50th minute, Andrey Santos misplaced a back pass, leaving Gómez through on goal. Trevoh Chalobah had no choice but to bring down the Paraguayan striker, earning a straight red card as the last defender.
Chelsea immediately shored up their back line with the introductions of Badiashile and Gusto, but the defensive reshuffle only delayed the inevitable. Forced deeper and deeper, the Blues cracked. Danny Welbeck struck twice, and De Cuyper added another to complete Brighton’s stunning turnaround.
Chelsea had been excellent early on, but in the end, their own mistakes left them punished and empty-handed.