Brighton dominated Chelsea with a 3-0 victory, as Kaoru Mitoma netted a stunning goal and Yankuba Minteh scored twice at the Amex Stadium on Friday.
Enzo Maresca’s side endured one of their worst performances of the season, suffering their second defeat in a week against Brighton.
Mitoma, who eliminated Chelsea from the FA Cup last weekend, produced a moment of brilliance in the first half before Minteh struck on either side of the interval.
Chelsea’s third loss in four matches is a blow to their Champions League ambitions, with Maresca struggling to fix their defensive frailties.
Despite early title aspirations, Chelsea have slipped down the table, with Cole Palmer’s dip in form coinciding with their struggles.
Mitoma’s exceptional first touch and composed finish opened the scoring before Minteh capitalised on Chelsea’s defensive errors to seal an emphatic win for Brighton.