Kaoru Mitoma scored a superb opener as Brighton loosened Chelsea’s grip on a place in the top four of the Premier League with their second victory over the Blues inside a week.
The result means the Seagulls, who also knocked Enzo Maresca’s side out of the FA Cup last Saturday, move up to eighth in the table, four points adrift of Manchester City in fifth.
City, Newcastle and Bournemouth, who all have a game in hand, have the opportunity to leapfrog Chelsea if they win on Saturday.
Japan forward Mitoma set the hosts on their way, superbly controlling goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen’s long pass forward with a delicate touch, before cutting inside Trevoh Chalobah and curling a low effort past Filip Jorgensen into the right corner of the Chelsea net.
From that point on the result rarely looked in doubt as Brighton deservedly recorded their first home league win since 9 November.
Yankuba Minteh added their second before the break with a low close-range effort after some excellent work from the impressive attacking duo of Danny Welbeck and Georginio Rutter.
While Chelsea controlled possession for long periods, they struggled to fashion many clear-cut opportunities against Fabian Hurzeler’s side aside from an early Cole Palmer effort that flashed wide and an Enzo Fernandez header that was disallowed for a push on home defender Joel Veltman.
Gambia forward Minteh rounded off the scoring for Brighton just after the hour mark, with Chelsea, who looked shaky in defence all evening, exposed down their left as the winger drove a low effort past Jorgensen at his near post.
