Brighton claimed an easy 3-0 win over Chelsea in their EPL match at their American Express Stadium to ensure the Blues continued their poor run of form.
The Seagulls were good value for the win in a match Chelsea failed to produce any form of attacking intent in the first 30 minutes of the match and failed to have a shot on target throughout the encounter, and conceded in the first three minutes of the match.
Liam Rosenior’s side had suffered an unlucky home loss to Manchester United last weekend, but they were abject against Brighton, suffering a defeat that further hurt their chance of playing in Europe next season.
Chelsea have shown vulnerability early in their matches in recent months, and Brighton exploited this through Ferdi Kadioglu on three minutes, shooting through a crowded box and finding the back of the net following a corner kick for his first goal in 17 months.
It is the earliest league goal Chelsea has conceded directly from a corner in over 22 years, and eighth time the Londoners have conceded in the first 15 minutes of a match this season.
Despite Chelsea showing signs of improvement after the break, the clincher arrived early in the second half on the counter through Jack Hinshelwood who finished off Georginio Rutter’s pass on 56 minutes. Substitute Danny Welbeck added more gloss to the scoreline in added time, finding the far corner with a first-time finish for his 13th goal of the season.
The Blues have lost a fifth consecutive league match, all without scoring a goal for the first time since 1912. They are also on a run of over 450 minutes of football without scoring a goal.
Chelsea drop to seventh on the EPL table with 48 points from 34 matches, overtaken by Brighton who have two more points.