toptop
Chelsea
lost their first game under Graham Potter as the manager endured a nightmare
return to Brighton, losing 4-1 at the Amex Stadium.
It was a first half worthy of Halloween weekend as a litany of errors saw the
Blues deservedly 3-0 down at the break.
Brighton pressed Chelsea from the off and went ahead inside five minutes. Thiago
Silva's poor pass - not the first he had made in the game either - ricocheted
off Leandro Trossard from close range. It landed into Premier League debutant
Kaoru Mitoma, who drove into the area and skipping over the Chelsea shirts
before finding Trossard.
The Brighton forward then lifted the ball over the oncoming Kepa Arrizabalaga
for his fifth goal under Roberto De Zerbi. It was also the first time the
Seagulls have gone ahead against Chelsea in the Premier League.
Brighton's second came nine minutes later as Chelsea continued to be architects
of their own downfall. In a flurry of corners, Solly March delivered a fine
effort which a rooted Ruben Loftus-Cheek turned into his own net.
It was another own goal for Brighton's third too. Moises Caicedo expertly found
Pervis Estupinan down the left of the area, with the latter's cross into the
six-yard box turned home by Trevoh Chalobah's outstretched foot (42), leaving
Potter dismayed in the away dugout.
Chelsea had the exact response needed early in the second half as they nabbed a
goal back. It was a wonderful, sweeping cross from Conor Gallagher that was
nodded home by Kai Havertz (48).
Despite Chelsea dominating the second half, it was Brighton who added a late
fourth as Pascal Gross bought up 50 goal involvements for the club. Julio Enciso
forced two saves from second-half substitute Edouard Mendy, but Gross was there
to send the ball home (90+2) and round off a fine afternoon for the Seagulls.
The result marked the first time Brighton have beaten Chelsea in league
football, as well as De Zerbi's first win as Seagulls manager. It sends Brighton
into seventh with 18 points.
Chants of 'you're getting sacked in the morning' were aimed at Potter from his
former fans and he was booed both before and after the game. However, Chelsea
stay in fifth ahead of the remaining games this weekend.
How Brighton beat Chelsea for the first time
The tone of the game was set inside three minutes. A poor pass out from Silva
saw Caciedo nod the ball into the path of Trossard at the top of the area. Kepa
Arrizabalaga was well off his line as the Brighton forward swept the ball
towards an open net, but Silva scrambled back to clear it away.
It was Silva's error again that led to the Brighton opener, before a quick
second thanks to Loftus-Cheek's own-goal. Chelsea were already 2-0 down inside
14 minutes and needing a response, finally began to work Robert Sanchez in the
Brighton goal.
Gallagher forced a save from the goalkeeper, with Christian Pulisic firing the
rebound just wide. Gallagher again went close soon after, nodding a superb cross
from Raheem Sterling goalwards, but Sanchez pushed it away once again.
But it was Brighton who continued to look the brightest and went close again on
the half hour. After some lovely play between Trossard and March in a packed
area, Caciedo skimmed the post and the side of the net with his own effort.
However, just a minute before half-time, Chalobah poked the ball past his own
goalkeeper to add a Brighton third.
Chelsea were improved after the break, and pulled a goal back early on. Brighton
continued to live dangerously, with Sanchez needed to keep out Mount's attempted
cross through the area.
Both sides continued to see chances with the intensity and pace of the game
remaining high. A poor pass from Mendy went straight to the feet of Mitoma, who
picked out Trossard again. He tried to chip the goalkeeper, but Mendy was up
high to stop it. At the other end, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tried his luck from
range, but Sanchez pushed it away.
Brighton wrapped up the points in the second minute of added time thanks to
Gross' finish, capping off Potter's miserable return to the south coast.
Man of the match - Leandro Trossard
A player who is in-form and full of confidence, Trossard added another goal to
his tally on Saturday. He had the most shots in the game (6), with four on
target and the joint-highest number of touches in the opposition area (10 -
level with Havertz).
Player ratings
Brighton: Sanchez (7), Webster (7), Estupinan (8), Dunk (7),
March (8), Mac Allister (6), Caicedo (7), Trossard (8), Mitoma (8), Gross (7),
Lallana (6).
Subs used: Enciso (7), Lamptey (6), Sarmiento (n/a).
Chelsea: Kepa (6), Chalobah (6), Silva (5), Cucurella (6),
Sterling (6), Loftus-Cheek (6), Kovacic (6), Gallagher (6), Mount (6), Pulisic
(6), Havertz (6).
Subs used: Mendy (6), Aubameyang (6), Chilwell (6), Broja
(n/a), Ziyech (n/a).
Man of the match: Leandro Trossard.
England World Cup watch
Raheem Sterling, Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all started
for Chelsea. Of course, Loftus-Cheek will have the spotlight on him after his
own goal.
There were a few decent crosses from Sterling and Mount tested Sanchez in the
second half, but neither had a large effect on the game. Gallagher picked up an
assist for the afternoon, with his lofted cross nodded home by Havertz.
Gallagher and Sterling were both substituted, while Mount and Loftus-Cheek
played the whole 90 minutes. Ben Chilwell came on in the 64th minute and largely
acquitted himself well.
Opta stats - Chelsea's double own goals
- Brighton secured their first league victory over Chelsea at the 15th attempt
of trying (D4 L10). Indeed, this was the first time the Seagulls have scored
more than one goal in a league match against the Blues.
- Chelsea conceded double the number of goals today (4) as they did in their
first five league matches under the Englishman (2).
- Chelsea scored two own goals in a single Premier League game for the first
time, becoming the first side to put through their own net twice in the opening
45 minutes since Everton against Southampton in April 2014.
What's next?
Chelsea complete their Champions League group stage campaign at home to Dinamo
Zagreb on Wednesday, before facing three teams in the top four before the World
Cup break.
The Blues host Arsenal on November 6 before going to Manchester City for the
third round of the Carabao Cup three days later, live on Sky Sports with
kick-off at 8pm. Graham Potter's side then travel to Newcastle for Saturday
Night Football on November 12, kick-off at 5.30pm.
Brighton go to Wolves next Saturday, before travelling to Arsenal for the third
round of the Carabao Cup four days later. The Seagulls' last match before the
World Cup is against Aston Villa on November 13.
Teams
Brighton & Hove Albion Sanchez; Dunk (c), Webster, Estupinan,
March, Mac Allister, Caicedo, Trossard (Sarmiento 87), Gross, Mitoma (Lamptey
73), Lallana (Enciso 65)
Subs Not Used Steele, Turns, Furlong, Moran, Gilmour, Undav
Booked Enciso
Goals Trossard 5, Loftus-Cheek 14 (og), Chalobah 42 (og),
Gross90+2
Chelsea Kepa (Mendy 46), Chalobah, Silva (c), Cucurella
(Chilwell 64), Pulisic (Broja 79), Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Sterling (Aubameyang
63), Mount, Gallagher (Ziyech 79), Havertz
Subs Not Used Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Zakaria, Hutchinson
Booked Kovacic, Sterling
Goals Havertz 48
Attendance 31,746
Referee Andy Madley
VAR Lee Mason