A furious Liam Rosenior turned on his Chelsea players and accused them of having an “unacceptable” attitude as they were humiliated by Brighton and Hove Albion in a 3-0 defeat.
The thrashing at the Amex Stadium means that Chelsea have lost five Premier League matches in a row without scoring a single goal.
Hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are now hanging by a thread, with Rosenior under growing pressure after the Chelsea supporters angrily chanted for him to leave the club during this defeat. Chelsea are seven points behind fifth-placed Liverpool and have been overtaken by Brighton in sixth.
Speaking after the match, the 41-year-old directed his ire towards his own players and said their performance was “damning” and “stood against everything” he believes in as a coach.
“It was unacceptable in every aspect of the game,” Rosenior said. “Unacceptable in attitude. I keep coming out and defending the players but that’s indefensible, that performance tonight. The manner of the goals we conceded, the amount of duels we lost, the lack of intensity in the team.
“Something needs to change drastically right now. We need to look in the mirror. I need to look in the mirror but I can’t keep coming out here defending some of the things we are seeing.
“We lost 80 per cent of duels. We didn’t win a header. Two of the goals came when we can head the ball, the basics of football, and we don’t. At any level, if you make those errors, you’re not going to win games of football.
“I haven’t criticised them up until now. I’ve defended them. They have deserved that. But I will tell the truth. I always come out here and tell the truth. And I blame myself as well. It’s not just blaming the players. I’m part of that process.”
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2026"That was unacceptable, indefensible... something needs to change, DRASTICALLY" 👀
No holding back from Liam Rosenior after Chelsea's humbling defeat to Brighton. pic.twitter.com/TfjkhFfz5P
Rosenior said any players who cannot handle the pressure and criticism that comes with representing Chelsea should not be at the club. He added that he understands the frustrations of the supporters who targeted him personally during the game.
“It’s my job as the head coach and the manager of the football club,” Rosenior said. “The buck stops with me. I have thick skin and I understand why the fans are frustrated. I’m frustrated with the performances we are putting in.
“What I need to do is look at how we go about games, the personnel of the team, who I can trust and rely on in difficult moments, because not enough players showed that today in the game.
“It’s not about playing for me. It’s about playing for the club. It’s about playing for the shirt. It’s about playing to win games of football. I can speak on what I saw tonight. You can read anything into it that you want, whether they’re playing for me or not, but that performance in itself was damning. It stood against everything that I believe in.
“I have always said I will be honest, and I’ve been honest with the players. I’m honest with you [the media], as honest as I can be. I’m not throwing anyone under the bus. That was an unacceptable performance. And I’m at the head of that.
“I’m managing Chelsea – criticism and pressure comes with the football club. So if you can’t handle that, then you shouldn’t be here. It’s as simple as that. And that’s something that needs to be addressed this week. But it also needs to be addressed in the long term.”
Trevoh Chalobah, the Chelsea defender, added: “We can be accountable. As players we have to be accountable for the performance. We know how much the fans have been behind us and we know they are disappointed with the results, not winning at the moment. We just have to stick together and pull through.
“I thought personally that the boys were running their socks off. Everyone in the changing room is tired. It’s nothing to do with effort. We gave it our all, we just got beat today.
“We have to stay positive. Negativity is not going to help. Us being negative, us dwelling on the past is not going to help the situation so we have to. No matter what happens in life you have to keep going forward and pick ourselves up.”
Chelsea fans target Rosenior as club lurch into deeper crisis
On the latest dark night in an increasingly grim campaign, images of Chelsea’s misery could be seen all over the Amex Stadium. On the touchline, Liam Rosenior stood with his hands in his pockets and a frown on his face. High above him, co-owner Behdad Eghbali clenched his jaw. And on the pitch, Chelsea’s broken players were bullied and cowed by their opponents.
None more so than Moisés Caicedo, the former Brighton and Hove Albion player, in the moments leading to the home side’s second goal. Chelsea’s midfield hard man, a £115m signing, was left floundering on the turf as Georginio Rutter and Jack Hinshelwood surged forward to score. As a single snapshot, it encapsulated this game better than any other.
The discontent among the Chelsea fans, which was already considerable, reached new extremes on this grisly trip to the south coast. Those supporters have mostly targeted the club’s owners in recent months but here they also aimed their chants at the head coach. “F--- off Rosenior,” came the cry from the away end as Brighton attacked again and again.
There can be no overstating the scale of the current problem at Chelsea. Rosenior’s players have now lost five consecutive league matches without scoring a single goal. The last time a Chelsea team achieved such a feat was in 1912, a few months after the sinking of the Titanic.
There are so many alarming questions to be asked of this Chelsea project. Firstly, when will they ever score again? Secondly, what happens to their finances if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, as now seems almost certain? Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly in the short-term, how long can this go on for Rosenior?
The 41-year-old turned on his players after this match, for the first time. He certainly appears to have lost his grip on them, although some might say he never really had it in the first place. Admittedly, his cause was not made easier here by injuries to Cole Palmer and João Pedro, his best two attackers, but his tactical approach evidently contributed to this horrid showing. In the first half, his defensive back five was picked apart within 240 seconds. It could have been 3-0 after 20 minutes.
One of the many mistakes made by Chelsea’s BlueCo owners in recent years has been to make an enemy out of Brighton. The consistent poaching of Brighton’s players and staff has made this a grudge fixture for the south coast club, and the home fans luxuriated gleefully in this thrashing of the supposed bigger club.
Brighton, who struck through Ferdi Kadioglu, Hinshelwood and Danny Welbeck, have won three league games in a row against Chelsea. Their superiority also now extends to the Premier League table, with this victory taking them above Chelsea into sixth.
Champions League qualification certainly seems a more realistic ambition for Fabian Hürzeler’s side than it does for this fragile, disjointed Chelsea. It was Brighton, not Chelsea, who had cohesion and class. Brighton, not Chelsea, who boasted actual attacking firepower. Brighton, not Chelsea, who had flexibility and energy across the pitch.
Brighton’s European campaign in 2023-24 was the first in the club’s history. A second now feels within their reach. “It was one of the most complete performances of the season,” said Hürzeler. “Now we have to keep going.”
Seven points separate Chelsea from fifth-placed Liverpool, and six points separate them from 14th-placed Newcastle United. If they continue to play like this, Chelsea will finish much closer to the bottom five than the top five.
A consequence of Palmer and João Pedro’s absence was Rosenior switching to a formation with five defenders. It was far from the most adventurous attacking plan for a team who have not scored in the Premier League since March 4, and Brighton evidently sensed Chelsea’s vulnerability from kick-off.
The home side almost scored after two minutes, when Kaoru Mitoma’s half-volley tested Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, and did score after three. Chelsea failed to clear an inswinging corner, allowing Kadioglu to steer home a low strike, via a deflection.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2026"Another game without a clean sheet for Liam Rosenior"
Ferdi Kadıoğlu gives Brighton the lead inside three minutes! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/aCsFpOdP2X
Within six minutes of action, the away supporters produced their first rendition of their current favourite song: “We want our Chelsea back”. Within 15 minutes, they were directing their anger at Eghbali. Between those furious chants, Pedro Neto fell over on the ball and Trevoh Chalobah punted it aimlessly out of play.
As has been the case ever since BlueCo first began to target Brighton’s players and coaches, the home crowd relished every Chelsea error – especially when the error was made by one of Sánchez, Cucurella or Caicedo, all former Brighton players. Sánchez, in particular, was targeted mercilessly as Brighton dominated both halves.
To little surprise, Rosenior abandoned his back five at the break. Chelsea were more offensive as a result, but also more open. Rutter soon overpowered Caicedo before setting up Hinshelwood for the second.
It was no more than Brighton, so energetic throughout, deserved against this crumbling Chelsea team – and it was to get even worse, when Welbeck powered a gorgeous finish into the top corner, from Maxim De Cuyper’s cross.
Rosenior: ‘I feel numb’ after ‘unacceptable’ performance
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More from Rosenior now. Asked about the first goal, the manager noted the chaos and errors in the build-up, before going onto to further question the squad’s attitude.
He told Sky Sports: “The goal was terrible but the passage before the goal upset me even more. There were four or five occasions when we could show some bravery, take the ball down and play. We just gave the ball back to Brighton.
“The performance, in terms of professionalism, wasn’t there. It’s a really, really difficult night. The most difficult night here at this magnificent club in my career. Some of the things I was witnessing today, I never want to see again.
“You have to ask the players. I never want to see anyone playing for this elite football club to be even accused of throwing the towel in. It’s unacceptable. I’m hurting. I feel numb. That doesn’t represent me. That doesn’t represent the club in any way. That doesn’t represent the club in any way.
“Chelsea represents fight, spirit, determination, and that was missing today.”
Hurzeler hails ‘great night’ but wants to stay ‘humble’
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Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler celebrated his players’ win but was not getting carried away despite the 3-0 victory tonight.
Hurzeler said to Sky Sports: “We played a good game, we defended well, we had a good structure in possession and created a lot of chances. All in all a good performance and now we have to keep going.
“Another great night and another great connection with the fans. Overall a positive night and now it is about staying humble.
“We expected a change. It is not that easy to know what the opponent will do but overall we showed great leadership on the pitch. For a few minutes we were on the back foot but we got back on track and got back our identity.
“Our approach will always stay the same. It is about the performance and the group. We want to be known as a club with a clear style of play but also to be known as a club with clear ambitions. We are working hard to fulfil them.
“We are able to manage the games better, we are able to play more consistent football. Not always we can win but it is always our intention to go out on the pitch and make the fans proud.”
Rosenior says ‘something needs to change drastically’ after defeat
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Liam Rosenior appears to have given up on some of his players tonight.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he was asked if this was the worst of the five recent losses in the league. He was unequivocal.
He answered: “By far. That was unacceptable in every aspect of the game. Unacceptable in attitude. I keep coming out and defending the player. That’s indefensible.
“The performance tonight, the manner of the goals we conceded. The amount of duels that we lost, the lack of intensity in the team. Something needs to change drastically here right now.
“We need to look in the mirror. I need to look in the mirror. I can’t keep coming out and defending some of the things that we’re seeing. Manchester United, the result wasn’t there, but I genuinely felt we turned a corner.
“The attitude and spirit, determination, was lacking. Maybe three or four out of the 11, that’s nowhere near enough for this club. I can’t come out and lie, that was an unacceptable performance in every area.”
Chelsea slump to seventh
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Brighton replace them in sixth.
There is a chance that the Premier League has six teams in the Champions League next season, but right now, Chelsea are looking at Aston Villa to succeed in the Europa League, and hoping they can hold onto their own position. Brentford, Bournemouth and Everton could all have a say.
Kadioglu celebrates ‘amazing’ performance
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Brighton’s opening goalscorer Ferdi Kadioglu spoke to Sky Sports and suggested it might have been his team’s best showing of the season so far.
He said: “Probably. Last weeks, we’ve been in a good flow. We had a difficult period. After that, we’re doing very well. Today we didn’t let them breathe. Amazing game from every player. We have to continue like this as we have some goals this season.”
“We knew from the beginning that we have to play hard. Chelsea have good players. If you are tight with them, they can’t do much. I think we did that amazing.”
Sidwell sees Chelsea ‘really vulnerable, low on confidence’
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Former Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell is on Sky Sports, and was left deeply unimpressed.
Looking at their stats tonight, he said: “Hugely damning, and it tells a story of where Chelsea are at the moment. Really vulnerable, low on confidence. This is the one for me, the distance covered. I think that’s been the story of their season.
“When times are tough, when backs are against the wall, that work ethic is what gets you out of it. Then you have to start building confidence and a bit of momentum. You can take out Cole Palmer, Estevao and Joao Pedro, your top goalscorers… but that’s damaging for me, in my eyes.”
Brighton wait for Newcastle
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Brighton do not play until the start of May.
They travel to Newcastle United for a game on Saturday, May 2.
They’re five points off Liverpool directly above them in fifth, who have a game in hand.
Liverpool are far from their best this season, so a dramatic push for a Champions League spot is unlikely, but not impossible.
Pressure on Rosenior
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Brighton are up into six, and Fabian Hurzeler is on course for his best season in charge of the club.
Rosenior might not get a chance to have another season at Chelsea.
The weekend sees them take on Leeds United, who are dangerous on their day. So are Chelsea, but most of those days were in 2025, before Enzo Maresca left.
Chelsea fans chanted against the board and manager, and some of them left before they got the chance to see the third goal go in. It’s desperate at the club now.
Let’s see what Rosenior and the Chelsea players have to say to the press now.
Full-time: Brighton 3 Chelsea 0
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The two managers shake hands.
An ultimately simple but well-earned win for Brighton, who scored early and late, and controlled most of the game in between.
Chelsea players made their club’s history books tonight: Five Premier League games in a row, all lost, no goals.
90+3 mins: Brighton 3 Chelsea 0
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Matt O’Riley replaces Hinshelwood for the home side.
For Chelsea, Josh Acheampong is on for the lacklustre Malo Gusto.
Four minutes of added time were indicated, but this might run a couple of minutes over that after goals and subs.
90+1 mins: Goal! Brighton 3 Chelsea (Welbeck)
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It’s three!
Welbeck is on to make it three for Brighton. Another long ball from Verbruggen. It reaches De Cuyper, who crosses low for Welbeck.
The veteran opens his body and eases a shot into the top corner.
90 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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This game is trundling towards a close with Chelsea offering little now. Brighton may make another sub to start eating into the remaining time.
86 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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It was in 1912 that Chelsea last lost five consecutive league games without scoring a goal. You would not rule out them making it six.
83 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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More subs for Brighton.
Mitoma comes off after impressing, with Yasin Ayari on for him.
Rutter is replaced by Danny Welbeck to freshen up the attack.
Hinshelwood moves out to the right wing to replace Mitoma.
80 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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Van Hecke blocks an effort from Guiu, who waits for a poor clearance to drop — I think from Van Hecke himself — and fires just wide from the deflection. The corner comes to nothing.
77 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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Minteh is off, and Maxim De Cuyper, the Belgian full-back, is on.
That’s likely going to alter the shape only a little, but gives some defensive emphasis as the game approaches it final 10 minutes of regulation time.
76 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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Some away finds have decided that’s enough, and they’ve started to make their way out of the stadium.
Garnacho has the best chance for Chelsea so far. He drives at goal, and stabs a curling ball just wide of the far post.
74 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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Brighton are able to find one another almost unchallenged with long balls, as Verbruggen remains an attacking threat.
Garnacho looks to stretch play on the left-hand side, but Fernandez releases him too late, and he’s called back for an offside.
72 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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Essugo and Guiu are on. Delap and Lavia.
The changes will shake up the Chelsea attacking line up, which has scarcely made a dent so far tonight.
70 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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Gross has a shot blocked inside the box, but with 20 minutes left, a Brighton third feels much more likely than a Chelsea comeback of any kind. Marc Guiu and Dario Essugo are warming up as Rosenior prepares changes.
69 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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Chelsea poke and prod for an opening. Brighton sit back and absorb the pressure, keeping their shape.
66 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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Sanchez with another good stop. Kadioglu really connects well as he fires in a shot from outside the box towards the near post, but Sanchez jumps to his right to push the ball behind. Corner for the home side.
65 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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Mitoma slides in Kadioglu down the left wing, bursting into space high up the pitch.
He carries the ball into the box, cuts onto his right, and his low effort is beaten away well by Sanchez, whose strong wrist gets it away from danger. Chelsea look rattled.
62 mins: Brighton 2 Chelsea 0
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Mitoma juggles the ball to lose his marker in the box, tees himself up for a volley, and slices across the ball to send his effort wide of the top corner.
After 15 minutes of looking relatively settled, Chelsea are looking fragile once again.
56 mins: Goal! Brighton 2 Chelsea 0 (Hinshelwood)
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Brighton make it two.
At one end Minteh hooks the ball clear to Hinshelwood, who returns the favour.
Hinshelwood gives Sanchez the eyes and slides the finish past Sanchez inside the near post.
Rosenior and Chelsea players want a penalty, claiming Garnacho’s earlier effort to lose the ball to Minteh was won unfairly. The ref and VAR are having none of it.
50 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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The Chelsea fans have responded to that Lavia effort by singing “we’ve had a shot”. They have also started singing against Rosenior.
50 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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It’s only the first five minutes, but Chelsea have had 80 per cent of the ball so far.
They haven’t strained Brighton especially and, indeed, the home side are now looking to attack.
48 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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That might be the fourth or fifth time that Sanchez sends the ball out of play under little pressure. The Chelsea goalkeeping recruitment has been a huge problem for a couple of seasons.
47 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Garnacho dances in off the left-hand side, plays it back to Lavia, and the midfielder makes room for a shot from distance.
It’s not appalling, but it is well over. A better start for Chelsea than their first half experience.
46 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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The second half gets going.
Alejandro Garnacho is on. He has been introduced to replace Wesley Fofana.
That probably signals a move to a back four for Chelsea, so back to their usual shape after a woeful first period.
Mats Wieffer is off for Brighton, with Joel Veltman on now.
Chelsea fail to create yet again
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Chelsea have recorded an ExG of 0.04 in the first half. I’m no Guinness Book of World Records representative, but that seems low.
Fernandez off the pace
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Enzo Fernandez has been, like many of his team-mates, largely absent despite being on the pitch in the first half.
If Chelsea are to mount a comeback and claim a Champions League place this season, under Rosenior in the next man, they need him to play closer to his best.
Half-time: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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A grim period for Chelsea, and a potentially frustrating one for Brighton.
The home side did well to take advantage with a strike from Kadioglu, but they have wasted some good chances since then.
As for Chelsea, Liam Rosenior shook his head when that goal went in, and has done little from the sidelines to improve things at all.
Only one goal separates the two sides, so this match is not yet beyond Chelsea.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 21, 2026"Another game without a clean sheet for Liam Rosenior"
Ferdi Kadıoğlu gives Brighton the lead inside three minutes! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/aCsFpOdP2X
45+1 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Fofana drags Rutter back on the halfway line to stop a counter-attack close to the end of the half, and he goes into the book.
43 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Another Chelsea corner, and it ends up back with Sanchez after a few seconds.
The goalkeeper looks up, sends the ball left... and out of play. More fans from the home section celebrate his error.
This is a mess from Chelsea - so fortunate the game isn't already over
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) April 21, 2026
40 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Neto wins a corner with a rare foray upfield.
A high corner to the back post from the player is headed away, and Brighton are able to clear their lines.
That is still one of Chelsea’s best moments of the first half.
36 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Brighton look comfortable. It’s just a one-goal lead, which is never truly safe in football, but Chelsea appear bloodless, and worryingly, it probably comes as little surprise.
Here’s how vital Sanchez thought that Chalobah intervention was earlier:
He then sends an abominable kick long and into touch. Not the first poor clearance from the goalkeeper tonight.
33 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Liam Rosenior is taking notes ahead of the second half.
It’s hard to imagine what he can say in the break that he has not already tried over the last four league defeats without a goal.
The players are some of the best in the league, so the problem is as much psychological as it is anything else. Time to man-age.
31 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Moises Caicedo and Pascal Gross played 50 games together for Brighton but they don’t seem to be the closest of friends. The two midfielders have been locked in an angry conversation for a few minutes now, with Gross clearly not impressed by something Caicedo has done.
28 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Pascal Gross and Moises Caicedo have words on the pitch, moments after Gross and Cucurella exchanged frosty glances on the touchline.
It’s all mildly heated between the old friends.
26 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Marc Cucurella, the former Brighton man, is booed by the home fans. He passes to Sanchez, the former Brighton man, who is booed by the home fans.
Cheers ring out as Sanchez’s hoofed clearance goes nowhere useful.
24 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Sanchez claims the corner without too much hassle, and Chelsea are struggling to keep the ball as they pass out from the back. Delap brings the ball forward and earns a corner from Van Hecke, a welcome break for the visitors.
23 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Chelsea could be about to break an unwanted record.
Another goal conceded from a corner this season would be the most they have managed in a single Premier League season.
They have just conceded one more.
11 - Chelsea's 11 goals conceded from corners is their joint-most in a Premier League season (also 11 in 1994-95), with only West Ham (15) conceding more in the current campaign. Problem. pic.twitter.com/yrClx2IRwy
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 21, 2026
18 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Sanchez makes a dreadful error. Looking to pass the ball out of the box, all he does is pass it straight to Yankuba in the area.
The right winger shifts it to Hinshelwood, who clearly should make it two.
Hinshelwood fires at goal, but Chalobah is on hand to stretch out and block his effort. It’s close to farcical all around.
18 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Chelsea may be struggling with a tactical change.
Rosenior has moved to five at the back, a move you assume was to give more defensive stability.
Brighton have had more than two-thirds of the ball, and have already scored, so it is hard to believe the change has worked.
The home side are almost always in the Chelsea half as they look for another.
15 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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More chaos for Chelsea.
Van Hecke gets forward to meet another tempting cross from Gross, and Sanchez is on hand once again to push the ball away for a corner. The move started when Neto took a tumble higher up the field.
Nothing comes from the corner, and Chelsea move up the pitch in search of some calm.
13 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Brighton are on top, and Chelsea are rattled.
A wayward pass from Trevoh Chalobah gives up possession to the home side.
While Enzo Maresca bristled with agitation while in place, you wonder if Rosenior lacks the authority needed to steady the ship here.
10 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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Seven minutes in at the Amex and the first chants of “we want our Chelsea back” can be heard from the away end.
8 mins: Brighton 1 Chelsea 0
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It’s a truly hideous start by Chelsea, who barely touched the ball before conceding. One can only assume Rosenior’s plan, having selected a back five, was to keep things tight in the opening exchanges.
Brighton look like they can smell blood here. They know that victory here takes them above Chelsea in the table.
3 mins: Goal! Brighton 1 Chelsea 0 (Kadioglu)
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Brighton go ahead!
From the corner, Ferdi Kadioglu reaches the ball after no Chelsea defender manages to clear the ball into the box.
Kadioglu meets it with a well-timed volley, which might take a slight deflection as it beats Sanchez in goal.
Chelsea are looking desperate once again.
3 mins: Brighton 0 Chelsea 0
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There’s little urgency from Chelsea at the moment. They have not pressed Brighton when the home side have the ball in their own half.
Brighton amble up the other end, Gross picks out Mitoma at the back post, and the winger clips a volley towards the top corner, and Sanchez leaps to push it away for a corner...
1 min: Brighton 0 Chelsea 0
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The match gets under way.
Gross plays the ball back to Verbruggen, and Brighton dominate the opening moments in possession. Two Brighton crosses are cleared in quick succession.
Two teams enter the pitch
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Both sides walk onto the pitch as flares go off.
Alejandro Garnacho is on the bench, with Liam Delap and Pedro Neto both chosen ahead of him.
Play is about to start as Liam Rosenior looks to take the pressure off, and Brighton aim to move into sixth.
Kick-off 10 minutes away
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Kick-off is in around 10 minutes, and both teams have been out on the pitch warming up.
You feel that if Brighton turn over Chelsea again, the match against Leeds could define Liam Rosenior’s time with the club. To get to the final would, potentially, keep him in the job until they get to Wembley. Even then, five consecutive league defeats might make up the Chelsea board’s mind tonight.
Minteh: ‘We have to go for it’
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Brighton winger Yankuba was optimistic looking ahead of the clash with Chelsea this evening.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “It’s a big, big opportunity. If you see the table and the points, we’re really close to each other. All we have to do is push everything else, and then get the results.
“100 per cent confident. I know what I can give the team, and I know what my team-mates can give my fans as well. We have to go for it and give everything.”
Boscagli named ahead of Dunk
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Brighton captain Lewis Dunk sat out the previous two matches as a result of suspension following his 10 yellow cards this season. In his place, 28-year-old defender Olivier Boscagli was picked, and his performances have seen him keep his place in the starting eleven tonight.
Dunk, 34, is expected to stay on at Brighton next season, but missing out at the Frenchman’s expense could be a hint of his place in the squad.
Chelsea lead the way for shots — not goals
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The 67 shots that Chelsea have managed in the last four games is more than any other side in the Premier League.
Unfortunately for them, they have resulted in no goals at all.
67 – Chelsea have had more shots (67) than any other team across the last four Premier League matchdays, without scoring a single goal. The Blues last failed to score in five consecutive league games in January 1988. Slump. #BRICHE pic.twitter.com/Q7Fb0tudNk
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 21, 2026
Palmer and Pedro out tonight
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Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has explained that Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro are both injured for tonight’s game.
Palmer has a hamstring injury, and could miss the FA Cup semi-final at the weekend.
Rosenior said: “Cole’s had some tightness in his hamstring so he’s going to be out for this game and see how he moves on for this FA semi-final.
“Joao Pedro will be good for Sunday. But this game is too close for him.”
Brighton trail Chelsea by one point
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Brighton sit in ninth place on 47 points, while Chelsea are in sixth with 48.
A win for Brighton moves them into sixth, five points behind Liverpool, who are currently in fifth spot.
Chelsea looking for an edge in front of goal
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Chelsea have not scored in four consecutive league games and their cause tonight has not been helped at all by the absence of both Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro. I am sure most Chelsea fans would agree that those two players are the best and most influential forwards in Liam Rosenior’s squad. As a result, it looks like Chelsea will line up with a back five.
It is quite extraordinary, really, that Chelsea have spent so much money on so many players but arrive at Brighton for a crucial game with the following attackers in their squad: Pedro Neto, Liam Delap, Alejandro Garnacho, Jesse Derry and Marc Guiu. It’s hardly a long list of attacking heavyweights, is it?
Teams in full
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Brighton: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Boscagli, Van Hecke, Kadioglu, Gross, Baleba, Minteh, Georginio, Hinshelwood, Mitoma.
Subs: Steele, Igor Julio, Dunk, Welbeck, Kostoulas, Ayari, De Cuyper, O’Riley, Veltman
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Hato, Cucurella, Caicedo, Lavia, Fernandez, Neto, Delap.
Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Acheampong, Tosin, Sarr, Essugo, Andrey Santos, Garnacho, Derry, Guiu.
Brighton team news — Welbeck named as Brighton sub, Mitoma starts
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Veteran forward Danny Welbeck is on the bench for the home side, while Kaoru Mitoma is fit to start.
Chelsea team news — Garnacho on the bench
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After his difficult time against former side Manchester United at the weekend, Alejandro Garnacho starts on the bench for Chelsea.
Brighton with opportunity to leapfrog Chelsea and pile pressure on Rosenior
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Good evening and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live coverage of Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea from the Amex Stadium.
The pressure continues to build on Chelsea and their manager Liam Rosenior ahead of their match tonight.
Chelsea are coming off the back of a 1-0 defeat at home on Saturday, against a Manchester United side with a makeshift defence.
That was their fourth consecutive defeat in the Premier League, and their fourth consecutive league game without a goal.
The loss dealt a blow to their already stuttering Champions League hopes, and they begin tonight’s game in sixth place, seven points behind Liverpool in fifth. Missing out on the tournament next season could lead to an unwanted exodus of some of their biggest stars, with Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez already linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge.
If Chelsea were to suffer another defeat tonight, there would likely be doubts over whether Rosenior will still be the man in charge of the team for the weekend’s FA Cup semi-final tie against Leeds United.
Brighton, meanwhile, are enjoying some decent form under Fabian Hurzeler. A late 2-2 draw earned in north London against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend means they are unbeaten in four matches, with five wins coming in their last seven league games.
Brighton are in ninth place on 47 points, meaning a win for the home side would see them leapfrog Chelsea and climb into sixth spot in the league table.
Robert Sanchez, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro all left Brighton over recent years to join Chelsea, so the home side’s fans would likely find the chance to go above them in the table especially satisfying.
In September, Brighton travelled to Chelsea for the reverse fixture, and won 3-1 against a side headed up by Enzo Maresca. He departed at the turn of the year. Could Rosenior be on his way before the season is over?