Chelsea’s 12-match unbeaten home run in the Premier League came to an end as Brighton came from behind to win 3-1 at Stamford Bridge. The Blues were once again hurt by a red card, playing with 10 men for the second game in a row.
Despite Brighton’s poor start to the season, it was Chelsea who took early control. They pressed well and were rewarded when Enzo Fernández headed in from close range after a deflected cross by Reece James, who was played through by Moisés Caicedo.
Chelsea looked comfortable in the first half, but couldn’t add a second goal. Brighton didn’t create much before the break, but they had shown in recent games that they often score either side of half-time.
That chance came when Andrey Santos made a mistake at the back, allowing Diego Gómez to run through. Trevoh Chalobah brought him down and was sent off after the referee checked the replay and judged it was a clear chance to score.
With a man advantage, Brighton slowly started to put pressure on. Danny Welbeck came close before finally scoring the equaliser in the 77th minute, heading in a cross from Yankuba Minteh.
Chelsea were lucky not to go down to nine men after Malo Gusto’s high clearance, but VAR let it go. Still, they couldn’t hold on. Maxim De Cuyper scored his first Brighton goal with a header, and Welbeck added a second on the break late on.
It was a disappointing day for Chelsea fans, whose team has now lost back-to-back games. Brighton, meanwhile, will be thrilled with the fightback and the three points.
