Chelsea claimed a promising victory by beating Brighton on home soil.
Chelsea defeated Brighton 3-2 in their Premier League game on Sunday. A tough challenge marked the Blues’ first victory since November 6.
What happened?
Chelsea’s brilliant start to the game led to their first goal in the 17th minute. Enzo Fernandez made it 1-0 with a cool finish from close range, setting the stage for Chelsea’s continued dominance until the half-hour mark.
Levi Colwill’s header then doubled the hosts’ lead only four minutes after Fernandez’s goal. However, a stunning low shot from Facundo Buonanotte brought Brighton back into the game in the final stages of the first half.
Things got worse for Chelsea when Conor Gallagher was sent off with a second yellow card just before the half-time whistle. Brighton’s numerical superiority tempted them to increase the pressure on Chelsea’s backline when the second half started.
However, it was Chelsea who made it 3-1 with Fernandez’s penalty in the 65th minute. The Blues seemed to be on their way to secure the three points, but another late goal from Brighton revived the visitors’ hopes of escaping the defeat.
This time, Joao Pedro flicked a header past Robert Sanchez to close the gap to one goal again. The game went on for another 14 minutes after the 90-minute mark, but Chelsea survived Brighton’s attack as they returned to winning ways in the Premier League.
Player Ratings
Chelsea: Sanchez (8); Disasi (6), Thiago Silva (7), Badiashile (7), Colwill (7); Caicedo (6), Enzo (8); Sterling (6), Gallagher (4), Mudryk (6); Jackson (6).
Bench: Palmer (6), Maatsen (5), Broja (6).
Brighton: Steele (5); Veltman (6), Van Hecke (6), Igor (6), Baleba (6); Hinshelwood (5), Gilmour (7); Buonanotte (7), Lallana (6), Adringa (7); Ferguson (6).
Bench: Mitoma (7), Gross (8), Milner (7), Pedro (7), Boaitey (6).