EPL: Chelsea crumble again as Brighton dominate in heavy defeat

Chelsea’s Champions League hopes took another major hit as they fell to a humbling 3-0 defeat against Brighton, marking their second loss to the Seagulls in just a week.

A sluggish first-half display set the tone for Enzo Maresca’s side, who failed to register a single shot on target.

While the attack lacked sharpness, their poor defensing was even more glaring, leaving Chelsea exposed against Brighton’s fluid frontline.

Kaoru Mitoma opened the scoring in the 27th minute, after a brilliant control to bring down a long pass from goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen before cutting inside and finishing past Filip Jorgensen.

The hosts doubled their lead 11 minutes later when Georginio Rutter’s cross deflected into the path of Danny Welbeck, who set up Yankuba Minteh for a clinical finish.

The second half brought no response from Chelsea, and Brighton capitalized again in the 63rd minute.

Welbeck turned provider once more, threading a pass to Minteh, who calmly slotted in his second of the night.

The Seagulls could have inflicted further damage, with Joel Veltman hitting the post and both Carlos Baleba and Joao Pedro missing clear-cut chances.

Once considered title contenders, Chelsea now face a battle to stay in the top-four race as their inconsistent form continues to affect their season.