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Chelsea beaten for first time under Potter in nightmare Brighton return

Chelsea lost their first game under Graham Potter as the manager endured a nightmare return to Brighton, losing 4-1 at the Amex Stadium.

It was a first half worthy of Halloween weekend as a litany of errors saw the Blues deservedly 3-0 down at the break.

Brighton pressed Chelsea from the off and went ahead inside five minutes. Thiago Silva’s poor pass – not the first he had made in the game either – ricocheted off Leandro Trossard from close range. It landed into Premier League debutant Kaoru Mitoma, who drove into the area and skipping over the Chelsea shirts before finding Trossard.

The Brighton forward then lifted the ball over the oncoming Kepa Arrizabalaga for his fifth goal under Roberto De Zerbi. It was also the first time the Seagulls have ever gone ahead against Chelsea in the Premier League.

Brighton’s second came nine minutes later as Chelsea continued to be architects of their own downfall. In a flurry of corners, Solly March delivered a fine effort which a rooted Ruben Loftus-Cheek turned into his own net.

It was another own goal for Brighton’s third too. Moises Caciedo expertly found Pervis Estupinian down the left of the area, with the latter’s cross into the six-yard box turned home by Trevoh Chalobah’s outstretched foot (42), leaving Potter dismayed in the away dugout.

Chelsea had the exact response needed early in the second half as they nabbed a goal back. It was a wonderful, sweeping cross from Conor Gallagher that was nodded home by Kai Havertz (48).

Despite Chelsea dominating the second half, it was Brighton who added a late fourth as Pascal Gross bought up 50 goal involvements for the club. Julio Enciso forced two saves from second-half substitute Edouard Mendy, but Gross was there to send the ball home (90+2) and round off a fine afternoon for the Seagulls.

The result marked the first time Brighton have beaten Chelsea in league football, as well as De Zerbi’s first win as Seagulls manager. It sends Brighton into seventh with 18 points.

Chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ were aimed at Potter from his former fans and he was booed both before and after the game. However, Chelsea stay in fifth ahead of the remaining games this weekend.

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