Xabi Alonso’s protégés started the match very powerfully and were leading 3:0 by the 32nd minute, but the visitors came back into the game and did not let up until the final whistle.
The first goal came as early as the 4th minute, when Romeo Lavia took advantage of a Brighton defensive mistake and sent the ball into the net – it was his first goal representing Chelsea since 2023, when he moved to London from Southampton.
In the 14th minute, Pedro Neto doubled the lead, and in the 32nd minute, former Brighton player Joao Pedro scored the third goal for the London team.
It seemed that Chelsea was controlling the situation, but Brighton responded before halftime. During added time, Malick Yalcouye reduced the deficit, and in the 63rd minute, J. Pedro accidentally directed the ball into his own net. The score became 3:2.
Then Cole Palmer made his mark. In the 78th minute, the Englishman received the ball near the penalty area, accelerated, and with a great left-footed shot into the corner of the goal, once again gave Chelsea a two-goal advantage.
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But it was not over yet. In the 95th minute, Pascal Grobas scored the third goal for the visitors, but Brighton no longer had time to save themselves.
These matches were a debut for Argentina national team goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in Chelsea colors. E. Martinez joined Chelsea after transferring from Aston Villa.
Brighton had recently become a very uncomfortable opponent for Chelsea. Chelsea had not won against this opponent since September 2024 – it was a series of four defeats, including all tournaments.
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