Brighton overturned a first-half deficit to stun Chelsea, who saw a player sent off for the second consecutive Saturday.
Danny Welbeck and Maxim de Cuyper came off the bench to score in stoppage time, capitalising on Trevoh Chalobah’s red card midway through the second half.
Chelsea had looked in control when Enzo Fernández headed home a Reece James cross—helped by a deflection off Kaoru Mitoma.
But Mitoma was soon at the centre of the game’s pivotal moment, pressing debutant Andrey Santos into losing possession before Chalobah’s desperate foul on Georginio Rutter.
Following a lengthy VAR review, Chalobah was dismissed in the 53rd minute, just a week after goalkeeper Robert Sánchez saw red against Manchester United.
Brighton made their advantage count late on.
Welbeck nodded in the equaliser from Yankuba Minteh’s cross with 13 minutes remaining, before De Cuyper rose highest from a corner to put the visitors ahead in stoppage time.
Welbeck struck again in the 99th minute, sealing an emphatic turnaround.
Chelsea, now winless in the league since the international break, drop to seventh, while Brighton climb into the top half with another statement result against a traditional “big six” club.
Mistakes and red cards are quickly becoming Chelsea’s undoing.
Santos’s error forced Chalobah into the reckless challenge that led to his dismissal, a reminder of the risks of fielding such an inexperienced squad.
Head coach Enzo Maresca has seen his side win only once in their last five across all competitions—a narrow Carabao Cup victory at League One side Lincoln City.
Otherwise, defensive lapses have led to costly goals: a stoppage-time equaliser conceded at Brentford, cheap goals at Bayern Munich, and red cards in back-to-back league defeats.
Compounding matters, Maresca faces a defensive crisis. Four centre-backs—Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, and now Chalobah—are all unavailable, while attacker Cole Palmer will also miss the upcoming clash with champions Liverpool.
Yankuba Minteh gave Chelsea’s defence, particularly Marc Cucurella, a torrid evening with his pace and direct running.
His whipped cross created Welbeck’s first goal and swung momentum firmly in Brighton’s favour.
Head coach Fabian Hürzeler’s changes proved decisive, with Welbeck and De Cuyper both scoring, while Mats Wieffer and Brajan Gruda provided the assists.
Despite selling over £260m worth of players and staff to Chelsea in recent years, Brighton’s recruitment system continues to unearth gems capable of competing at the highest level.
With Minteh’s electric display, the Seagulls may already have their next star attracting interest from Europe’s elite.
