Brighton blow Chelsea away as Graham Potter endures nightmare Seagulls return
Brighton romped to their first win under Roberto De Zerbi as Chelsea had the afternoon from hell on the South Coast
Graham Potter's return to the Amex Stadium was one to forget as Brighton thrashed Chelsea 4-1 to secure their first win under Roberto De Zerbi in stunning fashion – and inflict their former head coach's first defeat as Blues boss.
Potter flew the Seagulls' nest to take over at Stamford Bridge last month – and it's fair to say he's enjoyed better afternoons on the Sussex coast.
It took the hosts just five minutes to open the scoring through Leandro Trossard's seventh goal of the season. Then, with not even a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock, the Seagulls doubled their lead as Solly March's corner was diverted in by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
And it was to get even better for the hosts before half-time: Pervis Estupinan's low cross looked unthreatening, but Trevoh Chalobah turned the ball past Kepa at the near post for the Blues' second own goal of the game.
"You're getting sacked in the morning!" Brighton fans chanted ironically at Potter, who was forced into a change between the sticks for the second half as Kepa picked up an injury.
Substitute Edouard Mendy kept the Seagulls at bay for most of the second period – eventually in which the visitors pulled a goal back ghroKai Havertz – but Pascal Gross added a fourth for De Zerbi's men in stoppage time to cap a memorable victory, which was Brihhton's first-ever over Chelsea in the league.
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Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...