The Seagulls had already gone close when Ferdi Kadioglu opened the scoring on three minutes, and they passed up several presentable chances to double their lead before half-time.

Jack Hinshelwood did get a second ten minutes after the restart and the hosts completed the scoring in stoppage time through sub Danny Welbeck.

Alejandro Garnacho went closest for us with two second-half efforts, but there was no doubt Brighton were worthy winners at the Amex Stadium on another disappointing evening for Liam Rosenior's side.

Team news

With both Estevao Willian and Cole Palmer missing out through injury, Rosenior adjusted the team’s shape.

One of the fresh faces, Trevoh Chalobah, joined Wesley Fofana and Jorrel Hato in a central defensive trio, with Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella operating at wing-back.

Romeo Lavia, the other player brought into the starting XI, lined up alongside Moises Caicedo in midfield. Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez supported Liam Delap in attack.

Brighton strike early

Chelsea started slowly and were punished inside four minutes. Brighton had already served a warning of their intent when an unmarked Kaoru Mitoma bounced an effort into the ground and forced a flying save from Robert Sanchez.

Hato won the first contact from the resulting corner, but the clearance only fell to Kadioglu, whose shot took a nick off Fofana on its way in.

The Seagulls kept pushing. It needed Sanchez to tip Jan Paul van Hecke’s header over the crossbar, and a couple of minutes later Georginio Rutter curled a presentable opening high and wide.

When Sanchez misplaced a short pass straight to Yankuba Minteh, it looked certain Brighton would double their lead. Thankfully, Chalobah made a superb sliding clearance off the line to stop Hinshelwood turning the Gambian’s square pass into the net.

Between the midway point of the half and the interval, we mustered a couple of promising attacks using the likes of Pedro Neto and Delap, although the result of those were corners that amounted to nothing rather than shots on goal.

Second-half switches

Ahead of the restart, Rosenior brought on Alejandro Garnacho for Fofana – who was booked in first-half stoppage time – and reverted to a back four. We looked more comfortable and Lavia whipped a strike not a million miles over inside 60 seconds of the restart.

However, it was Brighton who scored the game’s second goal on 55 minutes. We had the ball on the edge of the box but a ricochet went the hosts’ way and they countered, with Rutter teeing up Hinshelwood to sweep the ball into the net.

Sanchez made two fine saves in quick succession to keep the scoreline at 2-0, denying Kadioglu on both occasions. The first stop was low to his left, the second springing high to his right.

Blues go close

We fashioned an opening with 20 minutes left after good work from Fernandez and Gusto in the inside right channel. Gusto cut the ball back to Garnacho, whose goalbound shot was well blocked by Joel Veltman.

The Argentine went close again with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining after good work from sub Marc Guiu created space for Fernandez to drive into. His compatriot’s shot had Bart Verbruggen worried but it slipped past the far post; Guiu then suffered the same fate when his angled volley took a deflection.

Our misery was compounded in the first minute of stoppage time when two Brighton subs combined to extend their lead, Maxim De Cuyper squaring for Welbeck to slam a finish into the net.

What it means…

Brighton leapfrog us in the table into sixth position.

What’s next…

An FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United at Wembley. Kick-off on Sunday is at 3pm.

Chelsea (3-4-3): Sanchez; Fofana (Garnacho h/t), Chalobah, Hato; Gusto (Acheampong 90+2), Caicedo, Lavia (Essugo 72), Cucurella: Neto, Delap (Guiu 72), Fernandez (c)

Unused subs: Sharman-Lowe, Tosin, Sarr, Andrey Santos, Derry

Booked: Fofana 45+1

Brighton (4-4-1-1): Verbruggen; Wieffer (Veltman h/t), Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu; Minteh (De Cuyper 77), Baleba, Gross, Mitoma (Ayari 82); Hinshelwood (O’Riley 90+2); Rutter (Welbeck 82).

Unused subs: Steele, Dunk, Kostoulas, Igor Julio.

Scorer: Kadioglu 3, Hinshelwood 56, Welbeck 90+1

Booked: Minteh 58

Referee: Craig Pawson