Chelsea’s attacking woes were fully exposed as they suffered a resounding 3-0 defeat to Brighton in the Premier League on Friday night. Yankuba Minteh was the star of the show, scoring twice to help Brighton secure back-to-back wins over Chelsea in the space of a week, following their FA Cup victory last weekend.
Match Recap: Brighton Outclass Chelsea
First Half: Brighton Dominate Early
Brighton took the lead in the 27th minute thanks to a moment of brilliance from Kaoru Mitoma. The Japanese winger expertly controlled a long pass from Bart Verbruggen before slotting the ball past Filip Jorgensen to put the hosts ahead.
Chelsea thought they had equalized just eight minutes later, but Enzo Fernández’s header was disallowed after he was adjudged to have pushed Joel Veltman in the build-up.
Brighton doubled their advantage in the 38th minute, with Danny Welbeck setting up Minteh, who finished from close range to give his side a comfortable lead at halftime.
Second Half: Minteh Seals the Win
Minteh struck again just after the hour mark, squeezing a shot past Jorgensen at the near post. A potential foul on Levi Colwill in the buildup was checked but ultimately waved away by the referee.
Brighton continued to push for more goals, with Mitoma forcing a strong save from Jorgensen and Veltman hitting the post late on. However, the 3-0 scoreline was enough to secure a dominant win for the Seagulls.
What This Means for Both Teams
🔵 Brighton’s Statement Win
- Brighton move up to eighth place, marking their first home Premier League win in six matches (D3 L2).
- This was their joint-biggest Premier League victory over a top-four side, matching their 3-0 win over Arsenal in May 2023.
- Brighton also beat the same opponent twice in seven days for the first time in top-flight history.
🔵 Chelsea’s Troubles Continue
- Chelsea remain in the top four for now, but they could drop out on Saturday.
- They are now winless in five Premier League away matches (D2 L3).
- Their form has taken a sharp downturn, earning just nine points from their last nine league games (W2 D3 L4), compared to 34 points from their first 16 games.
Key Player: Yankuba Minteh
- Scored his first-ever brace in English football.
- Now has four goal involvements in his last four league matches (three goals, one assist), more than his first 16 Premier League games combined.
Final Thoughts
Chelsea’s lack of a reliable striker proved costly once again, while Brighton produced a dominant performance to bounce back from their humiliating 7-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
With their confidence restored, Brighton will now look to build momentum, while Chelsea must find answers quickly before their top-four hopes slip away.
