Cole Palmer’s brilliant season with Chelsea continued as his goal helped the Blues boost their European qualification hopes with a win at Brighton in the Premier League. Palmer netted his 22nd league strike of the season, meeting Marc Cucurella’s cross with a looping header into the far corner in the 34th minute. This early lead set the tone for Chelsea’s strong performance at the Amex Stadium.
The visitors added a second goal 14 minutes after the restart when Christopher Nkunku coolly dispatched Malo Gusto’s cutback. Having been so dominant, Chelsea gifted Brighton a way back into the game when substitute Reece James, playing just his second match in 2024 after coming back from a long-term injury, was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Joao Pedro. This incident changed the dynamics of the match, giving Brighton a glimmer of hope.
In the 97th minute, Danny Welbeck netted to halve the deficit, tapping in a Pedro cross, but the visitors held on to secure a crucial victory. Chelsea moved up to sixth in the table and currently sit in a Europa League spot. They will guarantee a place in Europe next season if they claim a point at home to Bournemouth on the final day.
Brighton fell to their seventh defeat in nine matches but remain in 10th place. Despite their recent struggles, Brighton’s overall season has been solid, but they were simply outclassed by a determined Chelsea side keen on securing European football for next season.
