Brighton 4-1 Chelsea: Graham Potter suffers a nightmare return to the south coast

Of all places for Graham Potter to suffer his first Chelsea defeat, especially one like this.

And of all teams for Roberto De Zerbi to take his first Brighton win against.

On this most memorable afternoon for Brighton and their new manager, the message from Brighton was clear – you can take our manager, left-back and a host of staff but you’re not going to turn up here and walk away with the three points too.

There are some things, they might say, that money can’t buy.

After five games without a win under Potter’s successor De Zerbi, this particular one, with all the circumstances surrounding it, seemed just what Brighton needed.

Eldad don’t do that, or their relentless performance for much of those 90 minutes, but particularly the first half when they effectively decided this game, justice.

Indeed, Brighton played with the fearlessness and belief against big opposition as they took the game to Chelsea from the start, which Potter is credited with instilling in them during his time in charge at the Amex.

Aided by a defensive nightmare from Chelsea, Brighton raced into a three-goal half-time lead.

And while Potter’s half-time substitutions brought Chelsea back into it, the bulk of the damage was already done.

De Zerbi’s reign has seen a late boost and a statement win to start that process too, Brighton’s 100th in the top flight and first ever in the league against Chelsea.

Potter, meanwhile, was contemplating a first defeat after a nine-game unbeaten start to his Chelsea reign at perhaps the last place he would have wanted to suffer, his former club.

The humiliating nature of the first half in particular, as Chelsea were tactically outwitted, overwhelmed and crumbled, would have added salt to his wounds.

To his credit, when it would have been easy to and even the better option Potter didn’t hide, remaining on the edge of his technical area as his team raged before him.

It’s a shame for him that his players weren’t as defiant.

Amid the animosity, relations were cordial between some of the backroom staff who followed Potter to Chelsea and their Brighton counterparts, with handshakes and hugs as the teams re-entered after the warm-up.

But Brighton’s fledgling dislike of Chelsea was soon apparent as every mention of them, the reading of their team and their early possession woes were booed.

That eventually changed, but any vitriol against Potter was initially drowned out when he walked out to Brighton’s entrance music.

Marc Cucurella was not so lucky, scoffing throughout after handing in a transfer request to force through his summer move from Brighton to Chelsea before the Londoners returned for Potter and Co.

Signs that Chelsea were worried were there from the start. Thiago Silva had to make a clearance from Leandro Trossard to make up for his own mistake. It wasn’t his last.

A repeated piece of desperate defending from Silva turned Pervis Estupinan’s half-volley over but the Brazilian did not learn his lesson and helped give Brighton their opener.

Silva’s pass was intercepted by Trossard, who exchanged passes with Kaoru Mitoma and kept his feet to squeeze the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Brighton were rampant and Chelsea rattled by the Seagulls’ start. Kepa came after and missed a cross. Cucurella played a pass straight out of play during a return to forget as he tried to hold back Solly March and was subbed just after the hour mark, much to the delight of Brighton.

Mateo Kovacic received a warning. And it got even worse for Chelsea when March’s corner took a touch from Conor Gallagher and was deflected into his own net by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Both goals were celebrated with extra enthusiasm, particularly by the Brighton supporters near the dugout, with one in particular enjoying aiming his at Potter.

“You’ll be sacked in the morning,” many others sang to him at the time and later “Potter, Potter what’s the point”, as Brighton supporters reveled in their chance to taunt Chelsea in a variety of ways.

Chelsea needed a firm foothold in the game and had chances to take one.

From the first chances they created, not until the 17th minute, Gallagher was denied by Robert Sanchez and Christian Pulisic screwed back the rebound.

Sanchez acrobatically turned away a header from Gallagher before palming away a close cross from Havertz.

Brighton were far from done and their first half got even better when Estupinan, a constant threat with his runs down the left, got back inside and saw his cross turned into his own net by the stretching Trevoh Chalobah.

Amex pounced and Brighton didn’t want the first half to end.

Referee Andrew Madley’s whistle could not come quickly enough for Chelsea or Potter who were first down the tunnel at half-time.

One thing Brighton had fully expected was Potter to change things at halftime.

Chelsea went to a fluid 4-1-4-1 with Loftus-Cheek as an emergency right-back while Kepa also had to come off with a foot injury, meaning a first appearance since early September for Edouard Mendy.

It had been a busy afternoon for Loftus-Cheek who had been required to drop in at centre-back at times in the first half in response to March stretching Chelsea’s defense by pulling Cucurella straight out to the touchline, the flanks continuing to be an area of ​​concern for Chelsea.

Almost immediately, the adjustments paid off. Loftus-Cheek made progress down the right and cut back to lay the ball to Gallagher, whose first-time cross was headed in by Havertz.

Further dangerous moments from the relocated Mason Mount and Pulisic, plus Loftus-Cheek and Havertz further underlined Chelsea’s renewed threat.

Potter increased that further by introducing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who augmented Sanchez with his first major involvement.

As Chelsea continued to push the danger Brighton posed on the break stayed alive and only some much more composed defending from Silva than he produced in the first half denied sub Julio Enciso a fourth.

But it eventually came in injury time when Mendy kept out two efforts from Enciso but was unable to stop a third from Pascal Gross.

Sportsmail’s Ben Willcocks provided live blog updates for the Premier League match between Brighton and Chelsea and the rest of the 3pm kick-off below.