Brighton scored twice in second-half stoppage time as 10-man Chelsea squandered their lead, suffering a 3-1 defeat in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.
Substitute Danny Welbeck was the standout performer, netting two goals.
Maxim De Cuyper’s header gave Brighton the lead during the 11 minutes of added time, shocking the home side, who had struggled since Trevoh Chalobah’s dismissal in the 53rd minute.
De Cuyper, unmarked, nodded the ball home after Mats Wieffer had returned Yasin Ayari’s deep cross into the box, before fellow substitute Welbeck sealed Chelsea’s fate with his second of the match.
For the second consecutive league match, Enzo Maresca found himself searching for answers following a red card. This time, he could at least take solace from Enzo Fernandez’s header that had put his side ahead midway through the first half. However, following Chalobah’s dismissal for denying Diego Gómez a clear goalscoring opportunity—similar to events at Old Trafford last weekend—Chelsea were forced to adapt.
Their failure to do so has raised further questions about this young side’s ability to maintain composure and organisational discipline under pressure.
