Cole Palmer nets goal as Chelsea defeat Brighton to go sixth

Cole Palmer’s impressive campaign with Chelsea continued as his goal contributed to the Blues’ advancement in their pursuit of European qualification with a victory over Brighton in the Premier League.

Palmer scored his 22nd league goal of the season, connecting with Marc Cucurella’s cross to head a looping shot into the far corner in the 34th minute.

The visitors extended their lead 14 minutes into the second half when Christopher Nkunku calmly finished Malo Gusto’s pass.

Despite Chelsea’s dominance, they gifted Brighton an opportunity to get back into the game when substitute Reece James, playing only his second match in 2024 after returning from a long-term injury, was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Joao Pedro.

In the 97th minute, Danny Welbeck scored to reduce the deficit, tapping in a cross from Pedro, but Chelsea held on for the win.

Chelsea climbed to sixth place in the table, securing a spot in the Europa League for the time being. They will secure a place in Europe next season if they earn at least a point at home against Bournemouth on the final day.

Brighton suffered their seventh defeat in nine matches but remain in 10th place in the table.

Palmer shines but Chelsea almost throw win away

Palmer has emerged as one of the standout signings of the season. Prior to his move to Chelsea from Manchester City in the summer, the 22-year-old had never found the net in the top flight.

However, in this campaign, he has been a revelation, tallying 22 goals and providing 10 assists in 33 league appearances.

In the match, Palmer’s side dominated the first half and were initially awarded an early penalty when referee Michael Salisbury deemed Facundo Buonanotte to have fouled Cucurella in the penalty area.

However, after consulting the pitchside monitor on advice from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), Salisbury overturned his decision.

VAR was once again brought into play towards the end of the first half to uphold Salisbury’s ruling to disallow a Nicolas Jackson headed goal, as the Chelsea striker had pushed Tariq Lamptey in the build-up.

Despite the contentious incidents, Palmer continued to shine in what was an eventful game, ignited by James’ reaction to a tackle from Pedro, resulting in the Brighton striker being caught by the Chelsea player’s studs.

Nevertheless, Chelsea managed to cling onto their lead, securing a fourth consecutive victory for the first time since 2022.

With a three-point advantage over Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino’s side could potentially finish the season as high as fifth if results go their way on Sunday.

This would signify an incredible turnaround, considering the Blues were ninth in the league and trailing Spurs by 13 points following their 5-0 defeat to Arsenal last month.

Too little too late for Brighton

Brighton’s victories have been scarce since the beginning of March, with just three wins in their last nine matches.

With only 10 minutes remaining, salvaging a point seemed improbable for them.

However, the Seagulls mounted a late surge, with Simon Adingra striking the inside of the post just before Danny Welbeck’s consolation goal.

Brighton also had several opportunities to level the score when they were trailing by one goal.

Pedro came close to scoring with a powerful header that hit the crossbar just before halftime, while Pascal Gross narrowly missed with a flicked effort early in the second half.

Additionally, Brighton had a penalty appeal of their own in the second half when Gusto appeared to foul Adingra, but referee Salisbury opted not to award the spot-kick.

Brighton will conclude their season with a home fixture against Manchester United on Sunday.

Player of the match: C. Palmer