Brighton handed Chelsea a humiliating 3-0 defeat on Friday, with Kaoru Mitoma producing a stunning goal and Yankuba Minteh scoring twice to compound the Blues’ misery.
Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca, put in one of their worst performances of the season, suffering their second defeat in a week at the Amex Stadium. Mitoma, who had previously knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup, tormented them again with a brilliant solo goal in the first half before Minteh struck on both sides of the break.
Despite Maresca’s claims that Chelsea “belong” in the Champions League, their third defeat in four matches has put their top-four hopes in jeopardy. Defensive errors continue to haunt the team, and they now sit just two points ahead of Manchester City and Newcastle in the race for European qualification.
Brighton, who had won only two of their last 12 league games before this fixture, bounced back impressively after their 7-0 humiliation against Nottingham Forest.
Mitoma’s Magic and Chelsea’s Struggles
Chelsea’s struggles were evident from the start, with Cole Palmer failing to make an impact despite being deployed on the wing instead of the central role. The Blues had an early chance through Enzo Fernandez, but his goal was disallowed for a clear push.
Brighton took the lead in the 27th minute when Mitoma controlled a long ball with exquisite skill, beat Trevoh Chalobah, and slotted home a precise finish. Chelsea’s defense was again exposed in the 38th minute as Danny Welbeck set up Minteh, who fired past Marc Cucurella to make it 2-0.
The third goal came in the 63rd minute, with Minteh once again getting the better of Cucurella before smashing in a powerful shot.
With injuries piling up and their form dipping, Chelsea’s problems continue to mount, while Brighton celebrate another dominant victory over the London giants.
