Chelsea's hope of winning a Champions League spot almost vanished after a 0-3 defeat at Brighton's home ground.
The London team continues their disappointing streak of form when they have only won 1 of their last 9 matches in all competitions, and also set a sad record with the longest streak of goalless matches in Premier League history.
The Blues are falling into a real crisis when they have lost 4 consecutive matches in the Premier League without being able to score any goals. Against Brighton, they not only lost in score but also completely lost in terms of game.
Right from the first minutes, Kaoru Mitoma made goalkeeper Robert Sanchez work hard, before the home team took the lead thanks to Ferdi Kadıoglu's finish, after the ball touched Wesley Fofana and changed direction.
After the opening goal, Brighton completely controlled the match and continuously created pressure. Jan Paul van Hecke and Georginio Rutter both had opportunities to increase the gap, while Jack Hinshelwood missed regrettably even though the goal was wide open. Chelsea showed signs of improvement at the end of the first half but still could not launch any shots on target, making the deadlock increasingly apparent.
Stepping into the second half, the away team tried to find an equalizer but Romeo Lavia's shot could not make a difference. Before they could reorganize the game, they continued to receive a sharp counter-attack from Brighton, with Hinshelwood finishing to increase the score. Mitoma was still the dangerous spearhead on the home team's side, while Kadıohlu had more chances but could not beat Sanchez.
Brighton's victory was sealed in injury time when Danny Welbeck scored, closing a perfect match for the home team at Amex Stadium. With 6 wins in the last 8 matches, Brighton is wide open to compete for a European cup spot next season.
