The Blues put in another dismal display on the South Coast with several stars failing to step up in the big moments
Chelsea's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League took a huge hit after losing to Brighton for the second time in a week, falling to a 3-0 defeat in the Premier League.
The Blues delivered a first-half performance that fans have become all too familiar with in the last few years. There were flashes of danger from the frontline, but no real purpose in their attacks, which was reflected in the players heading down the tunnel having failed to register a shot on target.
It was even worse at the back. The visitors always looked vulnerable and with the attacking talent Brighton had available, it was only a matter of time before they were punished.
Just 27 minutes in, the deadlock was broken with a bit of magic from Kaoru Mitoma. A long ball from his own box by goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was plucked out of the sky by the winger, who cut inside Trevoh Chalobah before finishing past Filip Jorgensen in goal.
Eleven minutes later it was 2-0. Brighton carved their way through the Chelsea defence again and Georginio Rutter's deflected cross fell to Danny Welbeck, who teed up Yankuba Minteh to smash home and double the hosts' lead.
Enzo Maresca's men showed no signs of mounting a comeback in the second period, offering more of the same lethargic, ineffective patterns that allowed Brighton to coast towards victory.
To nobody's surprise, the hosts added a third in the 63rd minute, Minteh grabbing his brace after being played through by Danny Welbeck in the box, with the veteran pocketing his second assist of the night.
Chelsea were lucky not to concede more goals, with Joel Veltman hitting the post late on and both Carlos Baleba and Joao Pedro missing good chances.
A few months ago, many were labelling the Blues as title contenders, but now they may even be considered outsiders for the top four places as their season continues to come crashing down.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from the Amex Stadium…
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Filip Jorgensen (4/10):
In a big week after being named as Chelsea's new No.1, Jorgensen did not meet expectations, letting in a particularly soft second goal.
Malo Gusto (6/10):
Was active from an attacking point of view but struggled to deal with Mitoma's quality down his side.
Trevoh Chalobah (5/10):
Got turned inside out for Brighton's opener and looked lost at times alongside the rest of Chelsea's back four.
Levi Colwill (6/10):
Had a quiet game against the club he was once on loan at but remained dominant in the air and a threat from set pieces.
Marc Cucurella (4/10):
Really struggled with the entire South Coast crowd booing the full-back every time he got on the ball.
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Moises Caicedo (5/10):
Ex-Brighton man was hooked early in the second half with a highlight reel that consisted of a few late tackles and misplaced passes.
Enzo Fernandez (6/10):
One of the only Chelsea players who can leave with his head held high after putting himself about in midfield and actually showing some fight.
Cole Palmer (5/10):
Was unable to stamp his authority after missing a good chance early on the game which disrupted Chelsea's entire flow.
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Noni Madueke (4/10):
Had a few bright contributions early on but went off inside the opening 20 minutes with a hamstring injury.
Christopher Nkunku (4/10):
You would be forgiven for forgetting the forward was even on the pitch such was his minimal impact on the game.
Pedro Neto (6/10):
Did the hard running yards but had no end product to drag his side back into the game.
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Jadon Sancho (4/10):
Frustrations with the Manchester United loanee will continue after he failed to make any impact off the bench early in the first half.
Reece James (6/10):
The damage was already done by the time Chelsea's captain entered the fray, but he had a solid cameo.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (5/10):
Midfielder was tame off the bench which has been the story of his Blues career so far.
Tyrique George (6/10):
Was lively and unironically one of the visitors' best players of the entire match on the South Coast.
Enzo Maresca (5/10):
Will rightly face criticism for making changes when the game was already lost and the pressure will only grow with Chelsea's declining results.
