Chelsea started very well against Brighton. Taking advantage of the opponent's fatigue after the midweek match in the European Cup, the Stamford Bridge team proactively attacked first. They soon scored 2 goals after only 21 minutes of play. In the 17th minute, Enzo Fernandez headed the ball close to the goal, after Badiashile's pass.
Four minutes later, Jackson headed Levi Cowill close to the goal. Although Gilmour saved the ball, the referee determined that the ball had gone over the goal line, helping Chelsea take a 2-0 lead early. After this goal, Pochettino's team continued to dominate and create many scoring opportunities but failed to take advantage of them.
It was thought that Brighton would collapse, but the "sea buoys" rose strongly at the end of the first half. In the 43rd minute, young talent Buonanotte had a technical handling, before finishing dangerously, shortening the score to 1-2.
Chelsea suffered another disadvantage at the end of the first half when Conor Gallagher received a second yellow card, after a foul on Gilmour. Having to play with 10 men caused Chelsea to be pressured by Brighton, Sterling and his teammates successfully defended the score to 2-1 before entering the second half.
To enhance the ability to attack in a more Man-on-one situation, coach De Zerbi simultaneously replaced 4 players on the field in the second half, including Mitoma, Joao Pedro, James Milner and Pascal Gross.
However, while attacking, the away team was hit hard by a psychopath. James Milner fouled Mudryk in an attempt to block an intrusion into the penalty area in the 61st minute. After a few minutes of consulting VAR, the referee awarded Chelsea a penalty.
On the 11m mark, Enzo Fernandez did not miss the opportunity to increase the score to 3-1 for the home team. With a 2-goal gap, Chelsea took a deep defensive back in the second half. They played tightly, covering for each other well, causing most of the away team's attacks to be at a standstill.
However, in the 10 minutes of extra time, Brighton still scored another goal thanks to Joao Pedro, after a dangerous header back. In the 90+10 minute, the referee awarded Brighton a penalty. However, the referee canceled the decision after consulting VAR. He determined that the ball did not touch Colwill's hand as previously determined.
In the end, Chelsea beat Brighton 3-2. This result helped them get 19 points, while Brighton still only have 22 points.
