Enzo Fernandez scored twice as 10-man Chelsea held on to beat Brighton in a thriller at Stamford Bridge.
The Argentine midfielder provided an opening for the Blues, nodding them ahead after 17 minutes. Former Brighton loanee Levi Colwill then extended the lead with his inaugural goal for Chelsea just four minutes later.
Facundo Buonanotte narrowed the deficit for the visitors with a remarkable curling effort, and their comeback gained momentum when Chelsea skipper Conor Gallagher received a second yellow card and was sent off on the brink of half-time.
However, Fernandez reinstated Chelsea’s two-goal lead from the penalty spot in the middle of the second half.
Initially, referee Craig Pawson allowed play to continue when James Milner challenged the advancing Mykhailo Mudryk inside the box. However, after consulting the video assistant referee, he awarded the penalty.
Although Brighton maintained possession dominance, they struggled to create significant chances against Chelsea until Joao Pedro scored with a flicked header in the second minute of injury time.
In the 10th additional minute, the Seagulls were awarded a penalty for a handball by Colwill. However, VAR intervened once more, overturning the decision as replays revealed the ball had struck the defender’s head rather than his outstretched arm.
This victory marks only Chelsea’s second home win in the Premier League this season, while the defeat extends Brighton’s streak to just one win in their last eight league games.
Chelsea dig in for important win
Before kick-off, there was a minute’s applause in memory of the late Terry Venables, former England manager and Chelsea captain during his playing days.
Venables, renowned for his teams’ attacking flair during his coaching career, was honored in contrast to Mauricio Pochettino’s team, who secured this victory through resilience.
The Blues had a strong start, earning the lead through Fernandez’s close-range header from Benoit Badiashile’s hooked cross.
With Colwill making it 2-0 shortly after, there were indications that Chelsea might dominate, especially against a Brighton side featuring several changes following their Europa League efforts.
However, Chelsea were surprisingly flat following their quickfire double, allowing Brighton a foothold in the match, and they took advantage when Buonanotte received a pass from Adam Lallana, cut it from the right and bent the ball into the far corner.
Following a hefty challenge on Buonanotte that earned him a booking, Gallagher was later sent off for bringing down Billy Gilmour. Chelsea supporters might have feared a collapse similar to what they witnessed at Newcastle just eight days prior.
However, the home side displayed much-needed resilience. Despite being a man down, they organized their defense effectively, and despite Brighton’s possession dominance, Chelsea defended robustly, limiting the opposition’s chances.
Joao Pedro’s late goal added some tension, but Chelsea held their ground. While the squad’s quality is evident, their demonstrated grit in this match is a valuable characteristic that bodes well for their future challenges.