Brighton 2-1 Chelsea: Kaoru Mitoma’s lob dumps Blues out of FA Cup after Enzo Maresca named three ex-Seagulls stars value £202MILLION in his beginning lineup

Chelsea’s first trophy below their BlueCo possession is not going to come on this season’s FA Cup after a loss to Brighton which solely reminded us how little they’ve obtained in return for such spending.

Robert Sanchez, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella began right here in opposition to their former membership. They value a fifth of a billion kilos to amass collectively – the equal to 80 Kaoru Mitomas.

And but it was Mitoma who despatched Brighton into the fifth spherical at their outdated boys’ expense.

Chelsea complained there was a handball within the build-up to that dink which confirmed the comeback. There was no VAR to avoid wasting them right here, and nor might Cole Palmer rescue their FA Cup marketing campaign both.

It’s exhausting to not watch Chelsea and suppose that they’re so reliant on Palmer that if he doesn’t flip up, they don’t.

Palmer scored 4 targets the final time these golf equipment confronted each other within the Premier League in September. He took solely 5 minutes to pressure the breakthrough right here when Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen fumbled his cross into the objective as if the ball was coated in Vaseline.

Chelsea took an early lead when Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen scored a slipshod personal objective

Brighton hit again and Kaoru Mitoma ultimately scored the winner by lobbing Robert Sanchez

It was an terrible error – so unhealthy that Chelsea may take into account signing him subsequent summer time, as one fan joked – however Brighton equalised after 12 minutes when Georginio Rutter headed past Sanchez.

Chelsea’s goalkeeper was booed all through, as have been Cucurella and Caicedo. Brighton received a very good deal after they bought these three – £200million – however evidently, cash doesn’t purchase forgiveness.

The house supporters beloved Veltman for his Twenty eighth-minute reducer on Cucurella and for then making an attempt to carry him up after his theatrical rolling as there was a spiciness below the Amex’s lights.

Since December 4, Palmer has created 32 possibilities within the Premier League, greater than every other participant has managed in any of Europe’s elite divisions.

Nevertheless, none of these have been transformed by his Chelsea team-mates, leaving him with zero assists.

It’s a rare statistic, and one which emphasises their wastefulness in entrance of objective.

Not useful, then, that they turned up in Brighton with no recognised striker of their squad.

Christopher Nkunku was requested to do his finest impression of 1, although he declined the chance to shoot as he tried to arrange Palmer, whose header looped over.

Georginio Rutter additionally discovered the online for Brighton, scoring with a well-placed headed end

This was Brighton’s first dwelling victory in three months, ending a five-game winless streak

Chelsea will get an opportunity to avenge this loss as they return to Brighton within the league on Friday

With Chelsea taking pictures in the direction of their very own followers within the second half, you can really feel the frustration brewing in that away finish as Caicedo was urged to shoot from 35 yards.

Brighton took the lead within the 57th minute with Rutter’s ball in behind discovering Mitoma. It was a pleasant dink which noticed him beat Sanchez, as Chelsea’s hopeful claims of a handball within the build-up have been fruitless with no VAR in operation on the Amex.

Brighton’s final outing resulted in a 7-0 Premier League loss to Nottingham Forest and Fabian Hurzeler might be pleased with the elevated depth they have been displaying right here.

Chelsea went to work looking for a leveller, with substitute Enzo Fernandez blasting over and Maresca turning to others on his bench in Tyrique George and Noni Madueke.

But there was no approach again as one other probability of a trophy was kissed goodbye on an evening when Brighton gleefully received to rub it within the faces of former buddies turned foes.