Brighton and Hove Albion staged a stunning comeback to defeat a visibly ill-disciplined Chelsea side 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, scoring three times after the hosts were reduced to 10 men early in the second half.
Substitutes Danny Welbeck and Maxim de Cuyper netted the goals during a remarkable 11 minutes of added time, as Brighton capitalised fully on the 53rd-minute dismissal of Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah.
The Blues had been in control when Enzo Fernández headed in a cross from Reece James, taking a deflection off Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma on its way.
However, Mitoma proved pivotal in the game’s turning point, dispossessing debutant Andrey Santos and setting up a clear run for Georginio Rutter, which Chalobah halted with a desperate challenge. Following a lengthy Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check, Chalobah was sent off, marking the second straight Saturday a Chelsea player has received a red card.
Late Goals Seal Victory
Brighton immediately made their advantage count when Welbeck, shortly after coming on, equalised in the 77th minute, heading home at the far post. De Cuyper then powered a header in from a corner in the second minute of added time to take the lead.
Welbeck added his second goal—and Brighton’s third—in the ninth minute of stoppage time, sealing the victory.
The loss sees Chelsea drop to seventh place in the Premier League, having failed to win a league match since the international break. Meanwhile, Brighton ascend to 10th, maintaining their positive run of results against ‘big six’ opposition.
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