🦁 Brighton thump slumping Chelsea to reignite European push | OneFootball

Brighton have reignited their push for the European places after thumping Chelsea Friday evening to kick off the Premier League weekend.

Scorers: Mitoma 27', Minteh 38', 63'

Both sides came into the affair needing points to boost their European aspirations, but it was Brighton who were the brighter of the two teams from the very start.

Their early efforts were rewarded when Kaoru Mitoma pulled off a stunning first-touch before firing home a superb strike from outside of the box just eight days after the Japanese winger scored to knock Chelsea out of the FA Cup.

It went from good to great for the Seagulls before the end of the opening interval when Yankuba Minteh capped off a scramble in the Chelsea box to double the hosts' lead and plunge Chelsea into a momentary crisis.

While the Londoners looked to play with more intent after the break, their hopes of a comeback were quashed when Minteh showed off some tricky footwork before firing his second goal home, putting the clash to bed before just after the hour-mark.

Chelsea finished the match with zero shots on target, the first time a Chelsea side has managed that feat since 2021.

While Chelsea head into the weekend in fourth, Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Bournemouth are all within three points of Enzo Maresca's side.

Meanwhile, the win could be crucial for Brighton as they close to within three points of Bournemouth in seventh.

📸 Bryn Lennon - 2025 Getty Images