Brighton had by no means scored a objective at Stamford Bridge and, for 90 minutes right here, it was tempting to surprise in the event that they ever would.
Graham Potter's facet dominated Chelsea for lengthy durations, passing fluently, producing stress and creating probabilities, and failing to transform them.
Then, Marc Cucurella clipped another cross into the Chelsea penalty space and Danny Welbeck discovered house between Antonio Rudiger and Trevoh Chalobah, sprang excessive and powered a header previous Edouard Mendy.
It was a reminder of Welbeck's high quality and some extent was not more than Brighton deserved. For Chelsea the late strike was like a punch to the heart.
That they had led for the reason that twenty eighth minute when Romelu Lukaku headed in from a nook and the European champions spent the remainder of the sport attempting to guard the slender lead. When the ball went out with seven minutes to go, the nervous residence crowd refused to throw it again. It was that form of an evening
Thomas Tuchel despatched on N'Golo Kante to shut out the victory and he should have thought his workforce had made it.
Chelsea go into the New Yr because the closest challengers to Manchester Metropolis on the prime of the Premier League however they are going to remorse extra dropped factors and extra accidents, to Reece James and Andreas Christensen, forward of Sunday's conflict with Liverpool.
James began at left wing-back as Tuchel tried to ease the burden on Marcos Alonso, after affirmation that knee surgical procedure was prone to rule Ben Chilwell out for the remainder of the season. Christian Pulisic dropped into the position on the best as Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante missed out via damage.
MATCH FACTS
Targets: Lukaku 27
Supervisor: Thomas Tuchel 6.5
Targets: Welbeck 90+1
Bookings: Bissouma,
Supervisor: Graham Potter 6
Ref: Mike Dean 6
At one finish, James was liable for policing Brighton livewire Tariq Lamptey, a Chelsea academy graduate, tormenting his former membership along with his electrical tempo and jinking runs. On the different, he was the artistic drive from set-pieces.
Tuchel's workforce virtually went forward from a nook, an out-swinger from James, which tempted Robert Sanchez from his line.
The Brighton goalkeeper may solely clear so far as Mason Mount, who turned the ball again into the gang and Cesar Azpilicueta prodded it in direction of objective.
It took a deflection on the way in which and rolled into the put up earlier than he was clear. James collected the free ball out large and Antonio Rudiger headed large from one other of his fantastic crosses.
Sanchez foiled Mount on the close to put up earlier than James limped off in ache, halfway via the primary half, following a problem by Yves Bissouma. The England worldwide winced as he held his left knee and needed to be helped down the tunnel by two of Chelsea's medics.
Alonso got here on to exchange him and, inside seconds, Chelsea went forward. Once more, the hazard got here from a nook, this time delivered by Mount. Lukaku shrugged off marker Neal Maupay and headed in on the close to put up. Maupay went down and rolled round, claiming a foul.
In fact, he was merely out-muscled because the Belgium striker burst away from his makes an attempt to carry him again. Lukaku carried out as if making up for misplaced time. After making such a optimistic affect as a half-time substitute at Aston Villa on Boxing Day, his reward was a primary Premier League begin since mid-October.
His season was interrupted by an ankle damage and Covid delayed his comeback however Tuchel has been unusually reluctant to throw him again in, claiming Chelsea have been enjoying with extra depth with out him.
As soon as behind, Brighton got here to life, pressured the house workforce again and commenced to check Edouard Mendy. Bissouma registered the primary try on track. It was straight on the goalkeeper from the sting of the penalty space and saved comfortably.
Mendy needed to work more durable to maintain out an effort from Adam Lallana, diving to his proper. Lamptey and Alexis MacAllister each fired over earlier than the interval. Chelsea have been pressured to dig in to defend, and Rudiger was proven a yellow card for leaping right into a sort out on Lamptey. Luckily for Rudiger, he obtained among the ball.
Brighton dominated the passage of play going into half-time and have been the higher workforce after the restart, when Chelsea returned with out Christensen, who required remedy for damage throughout the first half and was changed by Trevoh Chalobah.
Jakub Moder was near equaliser with a fragile volley, glanced onto the highest of the bar, from a move by Lallana. Mendy beat away a swerving free-kick from MacAllister and pushed over one other fierce drive from Bissouma.
Maupay flashed a crisp shot large and noticed one other probability blocked by Rudiger. Lallana whipped one other great probability over along with his left foot.
Within the first hour, the guests had recorded 13 makes an attempt at objective. Greater than twice as many as Chelsea. Nonetheless they trailed, outdated habits in entrance of objective haunting them they usually have been more and more susceptible to the counter-attack.
Callum Hudson-Odoi must have stretched the lead when launched by Lukaku. Hudson-Odoi sped clear however relatively than go for objective he tried to chop a move sq. to Mount and Joel Veltman was in a position to make an interception.
Tuchel despatched on Kante and regained some management. They appeared to have completed sufficient when Welbeck pounced in stoppage time, for his second objective of the season.
These within the away finish celebrated lengthy and onerous. Maybe it was definitely worth the wait.