Chelsea secured a 3-1 victory over Brighton at Stamford Bridge, with Cole Palmer scoring twice to move his side up to third in the Premier League table.
Palmer's Double Decides Contest
The England international opened the scoring in the 17th minute, latching onto a through ball from Enzo Fernandez before slotting past Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. Palmer doubled the lead just before half-time, converting from the penalty spot after a foul on Nicolas Jackson.
Brighton pulled one back through Kaoru Mitoma in the 58th minute, finishing a swift counter-attack. However, Chelsea restored their two-goal cushion when substitute Christopher Nkunku headed in a cross from Reece James in the 76th minute.
Table Impact
The win moves Chelsea to third in the standings, level on points with second-placed Arsenal but behind on goal difference. Brighton remain in seventh place.
Speaking after the match, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca praised his team's resilience: "We controlled the game for long periods and showed great character to respond after their goal." Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler admitted his side were second best: "We didn't start well and gave ourselves too much to do."
