Brighton secured a league and cup double over Chelsea with another emphatic 3-0 victory on Friday, mirroring their dominant display from a week earlier.
After edging Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup last Saturday, Brighton delivered an even more commanding performance in the Premier League, with Kaoru Mitoma’s brilliance and Yankuba Minteh’s brace sealing all three points.
The breakthrough came in the 27th minute when Mitoma expertly controlled a long ball from goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, surged past his marker, and slotted a low shot past Filip Jorgensen.
The Japanese forward played a key role in Brighton’s second goal 11 minutes later, weaving through Chelsea’s defense before unleashing a dangerous low effort.
While the Blues initially blocked the shot, they failed to clear their lines, allowing Minteh to pounce and fire home.
Minteh completed his brace 17 minutes into the second half, combining beautifully with Danny Welbeck before drilling in a tight-angled finish while Chelsea’s defenders watched on.
“Three goals, a clean sheet, what more can you ask for?” Brighton goalkeeper Verbruggen told Sky Sports.
Chelsea’s struggles continued with their third defeat in four matches, leaving them in fourth place, four points behind Nottingham Forest, who still have a game in hand.
Despite enjoying 70% possession, the London side failed to register a single shot on target.
“Probably since I arrived that is the worst performance, especially in the moment we are in,” admitted Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca in a post-match interview with the BBC.
For Brighton, this victory marked their first Premier League home win since November 9 and was a perfect response to the humiliating 7-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest on February 1.
“It has been a massive couple of weeks for us after a horrible result and it was important we reacted in the right way,” Welbeck told Premier League Productions.
“There was obviously something wrong against Forest. We had to look at ourselves and have some honest conversations in the dressing room and with the manager. It was something we could not just gloss over. We had to have that feeling of what it was like and carry it with us.”
