Brighton dominated from the outset, opening the scoring in less than three minutes. From a corner on the left wing, the visitors failed to clear the ball effectively, allowing Ferdi Kadioglu to score from close range on the rebound. The ball took a slight deflection off Wesley Fofana, leaving goalkeeper Robert Sanchez unable to save it. The goal, scored at 2 minutes 54 seconds, was Brighton's fastest in the English Premier League this season.

Garnacho holds his face in regret after missing a chance during Chelsea's 0-3 loss to Brighton at AmEx Stadium, Brighton, United Kingdom, an early match in round 34 of the English Premier League on the evening of 21/4/2026. Photo: Reuters

Chelsea continued to expose their poor defending from set pieces. They have conceded 11 goals from corners in the English Premier League 2025-2026, a record as bad as the 1994-1995 season. This goal also marked the earliest they have conceded from a corner since 2003.

After opening the scoring, Brighton completely dominated the game. In the first 23 minutes, they had 7 shots, 4 on target, while Chelsea did not manage a single shot on goal. The disparity was evident in how the two midfields operated. Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, with transfer fees totaling hundreds of millions of US dollars, were overshadowed by Brighton's Carlos Baleba. Radio 5 Live commentator John Southall remarked that Fernandez "played a terrible game and was completely outclassed".

The crowd at Amex Stadium seized the opportunity to pressure their former players like Sanchez, Caicedo, and Marc Cucurella. Boos continuously erupted whenever the trio touched the ball. Conversely, Chelsea fans began to express their disappointment sarcastically. Early in the second half, after their team's first shot went over the bar, a group of fans chanted: "We finally had a shot", mocking their lackluster performance.

Chelsea made a personnel change, bringing on Alejandro Garnacho for Fofana at the start of the second half, but the game's dynamic did not change significantly. In the 56th minute, while the visitors were still protesting a handball by Yankuba Minteh, Brighton launched a quick counter-attack. Georginio Rutter carried the ball from midfield before delivering a perfect pass for Jack Hinshelwood to fire low into the near corner, making it 2-0.

Jack Hinshelwood scores to make it 2-0 for Brighton. Photo: PA

On the touchline, coach Liam Rosenior was almost stunned into silence. From the stands, chants against the English coach began to emerge. Even Brighton fans joined in with sarcastic chants: "Liam Rosenior, you're one of us".

In contrast, Pascal Gross continued to show his significant influence. Since returning to Brighton in 1/2026, only Bruno Fernandes has created more chances than him in the English Premier League (58 compared to 32). In this match alone, the German midfielder made 4 more key passes.

The 0-3 defeat handed Chelsea a five-match losing streak in the English Premier League, a streak they have not experienced since 11/1993. They have almost no hope of qualifying for next season's Champions League and are even at risk of missing out on European competition. Conversely, the victory allowed Brighton to leapfrog Chelsea into 6th place, nursing their dream of Champions League qualification for the first time in their history.

Xuan Binh