Kaoru Mitoma’s stunning opener and a Yankuba Minteh brace led Brighton to a dominant 3-0 win over Chelsea, handing Enzo Maresca his worst defeat since taking charge.
Missing a recognised striker, Chelsea failed to register a shot on target in the league for the first time since 2021.
Mitoma opened the scoring in the 28th minute, controlling a long ball from Bart Verbruggen before slotting past Filip Jorgensen.
Jamie Carragher compared the goal to Lionel Messi’s best moments, calling it “pure genius.”
Brighton doubled their lead moments after Enzo Fernández had a header disallowed, with Minteh capitalising on defensive uncertainty.
He sealed the win just after the hour mark, exchanging passes with Danny Welbeck before slotting past Jorgensen.
Maresca admitted it was Chelsea’s worst performance under him. “I feel pressure always. Not only now,” he told Sky Sports. Carragher warned Chelsea’s season could unravel if results don’t improve, while Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler hailed Mitoma’s goal as “special.”
Brighton’s win keeps their European hopes alive, while Chelsea must regroup to avoid further setbacks.
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