Chelsea vs Brighton Review
Cole Palmer made Premier League history by becoming the first player to score four first-half goals in a single match, leading Chelsea to a 4-2 victory over Brighton, who suffered their first league defeat of the season. The first half was chaotic, starting with a defensive error from Chelsea, where former Brighton goalkeeper Robert Sánchez misjudged a looping ball, allowing Georginio Rutter to head it into an empty net.
Meanwhile, Palmer was heavily involved for Chelsea, hitting the post and having a goal disallowed for offside before scoring his first goal of the season at Stamford Bridge after an error by Adam Webster. Brighton’s high defensive line created numerous opportunities for Chelsea, and after Jadon Sancho’s attempt at his first Chelsea goal was ruled offside, the Blues took the lead with a penalty. Sancho was instrumental in this, drawing a foul from Carlos Baleba, which allowed Palmer to convert his 10th Premier League penalty for Chelsea.
Just 10 minutes after scoring his first goal, Palmer completed his hat-trick with a stunning long-range free-kick. The thrilling first half continued as Brighton took advantage of another mistake by Sánchez, reducing the deficit when Baleba intercepted a stray pass and scored at the near post. Despite this, the Chelsea goalkeeper made some important saves, denying Baleba twice before more excitement unfolded at the other end, where Noni Madueke nearly scored a fourth for Chelsea. Luckily for Enzo Maresca, the Blues quickly regained their two-goal advantage after another defensive error allowed Palmer to score from a quick shot.
Although Chelsea only had 36% possession in the first half, they maintained their momentum after the break, putting pressure on Brighton as Nicolas Jackson rounded Bart Verbruggen, only to have his shot cleared off the line by Webster. The home team was consistently threatening the Seagulls’ goal, and Palmer could have easily scored a fifth, with a dipping volley going over the bar and another shot just missing the target. A quieter phase of play followed before Jackson narrowly missed another opportunity to score.
Marc Cucurella believed he had scored from a corner, but his goal was ruled out for offside. The second half was dominated by Jackson, who failed to capitalize on several opportunities. Fortunately for Maresca’s team, this did not affect the outcome as they managed to maintain control during a much quieter second half. Chelsea’s victory earned them three points, moving them up to 4th place in the early Premier League standings, just two points behind leaders Liverpool. Meanwhile, Brighton’s unbeaten streak came to an end, leaving them in eighth place, having won only two of their last 16 away matches in the Premier League.