Brighton 2-1 Chelsea (February 8, 2025) Game Analysis

Kaoru Mitoma sealed Brighton & Hove Albion‘S 2-1 comeback home Victory over Premier League rivals Chelsea To send South Coast Club into the FA Cup fifth round Saturday.

Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen gifted Chelsea a fifth minute lead when he bundled a cross at Cole palms into its own net under no pressure.

However, the hosts were not in the back Georginio Rutter Equalized seven minutes later with a glazing header.

Palmer should have restored eight times cup winners Chelsea’s lead before the break, but Brighton was superior after the break and Japanese wings Mitoma sealed a draw in the 57th minute with a flimening finish over Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez.

The defeat means Chelsea has not won in any competition since the beginning of December, and their only realistic chance of silverware in manager Enzo Maresca’s first season at the helm is in the UEFA Conference League.

Brighton has been inconsistent in the league under their 31-year-old manager Fabian Hurzeler, but they gave a big response to last week’s 7-0 drubbing by Nottingham ForestEspecially after such an unhappy start.

“It’s good that everyone gathered around and showed their fighting spirit,” Brighton -Wing Tariq Lampltey said.

“We showed that we’re together and we turned it around.”

Things looked bad for the hosts as Palmer volleyed a cross towards goal, and Verbruggen wasted the ball into his goal.

Rutter spared his redness shortly after though Joël Veltman”s cross from the right avoided two Chelsea defenders, and the Frenchman led his headline beyond Sanchez.

There was a hint of controversy about Brighton’s winner with a suspicion of handball in the structure before Mitoma showed a cool head to lift his finish over Sanchez.