Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma defeat Enzo Maresca's team in the Premier League.

Enzo Maresca's team failed to score a goal for the first time since 2021, exposing Chelsea's striker issues; Brighton's two-game losing streak was ended by a double from Yankuba Minteh and an incredible opening from Kaoru Mitoma.

On a challenging night for head coach Enzo Maresca, Brighton defeated a lethargic Chelsea 3-0 thanks to a spectacular opening goal from Kaoru Mitoma and a double from Yankuba Minteh.

The Chelsea manager had already infuriated some supporters by downplaying the significance of the FA Cup following their fourth-round loss to Brighton, and the fact that they lost less than seven days later will not help his standing at Stamford Bridge.

Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku alternated in the false nine position as Chelsea failed to record a shot on goal in the league for the first time since September 2021, a clear result of Maresca's lack of a renowned striker.

After the game, Maresca told Sky Sports, "We are still in the race to finish in the top four, but tonight is the worst performance since I arrived." "I always feel pressure," he continued. Not just right now.

After a long pass over the top from Bart Verbruggen, Mitoma grabbed the ball out of the air and slotted it past Chelsea custodian Filip Jorgensen within 30 minutes, earning him comparisons to Lionel Messi and Dennis Bergkmap for the opening goal.

"The touch is as good as anything you will see in the Premier League this season - and the finish isn't bad either," predicted Jamie Carragher of Sky Sports. "I don't say that lightly, but that's Messi-like. Absolute brilliant.

After replacing Robert Sanchez as the starting goalie, Jorgensen had a poor hand with the ball and ought to have done more to keep it out on a night when all eyes were on him. Throughout the game, he maintained his unsteady appearance.

Less than a minute after Enzo Fernandez's header was disallowed for a push, Brighton extended their advantage before halftime. Minteh scored from close range after the visitors were unable to clear Georginio Rutter's cross.

Minteh scored his second goal, taking advantage of more drab defence, when he and Danny Welbeck combined shortly after the hour to complete the three-point victory and break Brighton's two-game losing streak in the Premier League. This cut the gap between Brighton and fourth-place Chelsea to six points.

Somehow to recover from their most recent 7-0 thumping against Nottingham Forest.

Maresca: Under me, Chelsea has performed the worst.
Enzo Maresca, the manager of Chelsea:

"We sincerely apologise to the supporters who attended.

"With 14 games remaining, we need to perform significantly better than we did tonight given the current situation and position.

"We succeeded in dominating the game, but as I mentioned prior to the match, we struggled in the last third after reaching the box's edge without the nine and threat behind us.

"Hopefully, tonight will be a turning point.

"There are a lot of things we need to improve on when we perform like tonight. Thankfully, we're still in a strong position.

"This type of game involves more than just cerebral skills. I'm sorry for the supporters; we must remain united even though this performance is not appropriate at this point in the season.

"I'm always under pressure. Not just right now. The worst performance I've seen since coming here is tonight. However, we still have a chance to place among the top four.

Hurzeler: "The Mitoma goal was'special'"

Fabian Hurzeler, the Brighton manager, told Sky Sports:

"You can't always explain the things that special players do. He did something special, and since he puts in a lot of effort every day, he deserves it. I'm happy he got it, because he is totally dedicated to our club."

Hurzeler went on to state of the overall performance: "I wouldn't say it was complete. We struggled early on and became a little too passive after the first goal. Today, it was crucial that we played strong defence. compactness, ferocity, and a constant collaborative effort."