Of all places Graham Potter will suffer his first defeat at Chelsea, especially so. Of all the teams that Roberto De Zerbi won his first victory.
On this most memorable afternoon for Brighton and their new manager, the message from Brighton was clear: you can take our manager, your left-back and a load of equipment, but you’re not going to come here and leave with the three points too .
There are some things, they might say, that money can’t buy.
Graham Potter suffered his first defeat since joining Chelsea as his former club Brighton hammered the Blues 4-1 at the Amex.
His former players Leandro Trossard (pictured) and Pascal Gross contributed to Potter’s worst result as a Chelsea manager.
Roberto De Zerbi had to wait for his first win, but it was surpassed by the man he replaced as manager at the Amex Stadium.
Trossard’s opener and two Chelsea own goals gave Roberto De Zerbi’s side a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.
After five games without a win under Potter’s successor at Brighton, De Zerbi, this particular game, with all the circumstances surrounding it, seemed to be just what Brighton needed.
DATA OF THE MATCH
BRIGHTON (4-2-3-1): Sanchez 8; Gross 8, Dunk 7.5, Webster 7.5, Stupid 8.5; March 7, Mac Allister 6, Fallen 7; March 8, Lallana 7 (Encisco 64, 6), Mitoma 7 (Lamptey 71, 6), Trossard 8.5 (Sarmiento 87).
Subs not used: Steele, Undav, Gilmour, Turns, Furlong, Moran.
Scorers: Trossard 5, Loftus-Cheek (OG) 14, Chalobah (OG) 42, Brut 90+2
Reserved: Encisco
Manager: Robert de Zerbi 8
CHELSEA (3-4-2-1): Arrizabalaga 6.5 (Mendy 46, 6); Chalobah 6, Thiago Silva 6.5, Cucurella 5 (Chilwell 63, 6); Pulisic 6.5 (Broja 78), Loftus-Cheek 6.5, Kovacic 7, Sterling 7 (Aubameyang 63, 6); Mountain 5.5, Gallagher 6.5 (Ziyech 78), Havertz 6.
Subs not used: Jorginho, Zakaria, Azpilicueta, Hutchinson.
Scorer: Havertz 48
Booked: Kovacic, Sterling
Manager: Graham Potter 5
Referee: Andrew Madley
Attendance: 31,746
Encesos doesn’t even their performance for a large part of these 90 minutes, but especially the first part when they effectively liquidated this match, justice.
Indeed, Brighton played with the fearlessness and belief against big-name opposition as they took the game to Chelsea from the outset, which Potter is credited with instilling in them.
Aided by a Chelsea defensive nightmare, Brighton built a three-goal lead at half-time.
And while Potter’s half-time changes brought Chelsea back in, the damage was already done.
De Zerbi’s reign has taken off of late and a statement win to start that process too, Brighton’s 100th in the top flight.
Potter was left staring down a first defeat after a nine-match unbeaten start to his Chelsea reign at perhaps the last place he would have wanted to suffer it, his former club.
The humiliating nature of the first half, especially as Chelsea were out-of-mind, out-and-out and battered, would have added salt to their wounds.
To his credit, when it would have been easy and even the best option, Potter didn’t hide, staying on the edge of his technical area as his team fell apart in front of him. It’s a shame for him that his team wasn’t as challenging.
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 headed back inside after warm-ups.
But Chelsea’s newly fueled dislike of Brighton was soon apparent as any mention of them, their team read and their early spells of possession were booed.
Any animosity towards Potter was initially drowned out as he walked out as Brighton’s entrance music played.
Left-back Marc Cucurella, also back at Brighton for the first time, was not so lucky, teasing a transfer request to force through his summer move.
The signs that Chelsea were restless were there from the start. Thiago Silva had to give a header to Leandro Trossard’s goal line to make up for his own mistake. It was not his last.
Repeated defending from Silva tipped over Pervis Estupinan’s half-volley, but he failed to learn his lesson and helped gift Brighton’s opener.
Chelsea were not helped by Ruben Loftus-Cheek inadvertently giving Brighton a 2-0 lead after just 14 minutes.
Left-back Pervis Estupinan celebrates as Trevoh Chalobah scores Chelsea’s second own goal in the 42nd minute.
Silva’s pass was intercepted by Trossard, he 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 has come to look for and missed a cross. Cucurella played a pass offside during a comeback to forget as he tried to contain Solly March and was substituted just after the hour, much to Brighton’s delight.
Mateo Kovacic received a yellow card. And things 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 more enthusiasm, especially by the Brighton supporters near the dugout and one in particular enjoyed turning his head at Potter.
“You’ll be sacked in the morning,” many others chanted at him at the time and later “Potter, Potter what’s the score” as Brighton fans reveled in their chance to taunt Chelsea in various ways.
Kai Havertz pulled one back for the visitors shortly after the break, but Chelsea ultimately failed to mount a fruitful comeback.
Pascal Gross grabbed a stoppage-time fourth to give De Zerbi their first win since replacing Potter as manager last month
Chelsea badly needed a foothold in the game and had chances to get one.
From the first chances they created, not until the 17th minute, Gallagher was denied by Robert Sánchez and Christian Pulisic rolled the rebound wide.
Sanchez acrobatically turned a header from Gallagher before curling a Havertz effort past the near post.
Brighton were far from finished and their first half got even better when Estupinan, a constant threat with his runs down the left, got back in and saw his cross turn into his own net for the Trevoh Chalobah stretch.
The Amex were jumping and Brighton didn’t want the first half to end.
Referee Andrew Madley’s whistle couldn’t come soon enough for Chelsea or Potter, who was first down the tunnel when the half-time touch was called.
Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo battles for possession with Kai Havertz enduring a frustrating afternoon
One thing Brighton would have fully expected was Potter to turn things around on the break.
Chelsea switched to a fluid 4-1-4-1 with Loftus-Cheek as an emergency full-back, while Kepa also had to come off after being injured in the first half, meaning a first appearance since the beginning of September.
It had been a busy afternoon for Loftus-Cheek, who had been forced into central defender at times in the first half in response to March stretching Chelsea’s defense by dragging Cucurella out wide.
Almost instantly the tweaks paid off. Loftus-Cheek advanced down the right and slotted the ball back to Gallagher, whose first-time cross was headed home by Havertz.
De Zerbi embraces Dunk with pair happy to end difficult opening few weeks in charge of club
Potter applauds Chelsea fans after what was a miserable return to his former club on Saturday afternoon
Other dangerous moments from the repositioned Mason Mount and Pulisic, plus Loftus-Cheek and Havertz further underlined Chelsea’s renewed threat.
Potter increased it further by introducing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who extended Sanchez with his first major involvement.
As Chelsea continued to push, the danger posed by Brighton on the break remained alive and only some far more composed defenders from Silva than he produced in the first half denied subJulio Ensisco a fourth.
But that came in stoppage time when Mendy kept out efforts from Trossard and Encisco but was unable to stop a third from Pascal Gross.
Sportsmail’s Ben Willcocks provided live blog updates for the Premier League clash between Brighton and Chelsea and the rest of the 3pm kick-off below.