Chelsea 4-3 Brighton: Joao Pedro stars but penalty drama decides Stamford Bridge thriller (highlights)Stamford Bridge witnessed a seven-goal thriller as Chelsea edged Brighton 4-3 in a breathless Premier League encounter. The Blues made a blistering start, racing into a 3-0 lead inside the first 32 minutes. Romeo Lavia opened the scoring on 4 minutes with a fierce drive from the edge of the box. Pedro Neto doubled the lead ten minutes later after Morgan Rodgers' clever through-ball, rounding the keeper with composure. Joao Pedro, who would go on to be the star of the show, made it 3-0 on 32 minutes, finishing off a pinpoint pass from Jorrel Hato. The Seagulls refused to fold. They pulled one back just three minutes later, as Malick Yalcouye powered home a header from a corner. Brighton sensed a fightback and got it on 63 minutes when Joao Pedro scored his second of the evening, slotting past the goalkeeper to make it 3-2. It was game on. But Chelsea responded quickly. On 74 minutes, Joao Pedro turned provider, slipping the ball through for Cole Palmer, who fired low into the far corner to restore the two-goal cushion at 4-2. Brighton kept pushing and grabbed a third in the sixth minute of stoppage time through Pascal Groß, who bundled the ball home from close range to set up a frantic finale. Referee Michael Oliver booked Wesley Fofana, Lewis Dunk, Olivier Boscagli and Costinha. The statistics show Chelsea had 18 shots with 7 on target and 52% possession, while Brighton registered 14 attempts with 6 on target. Joao Pedro was named man of the match with two goals and an assist. With six points from two games, Chelsea top the table, while Brighton remain winless in 17th. Can the Blues pass their first real test against Manchester City next week? EnglandMenFootball |
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