Brighton & Hove Albion ruined Chelsea boss Frank Lampard’s return to Stamford Bridge with a 2-1 comeback win on Saturday as substitutes Danny Welbeck and Julio Enciso condemned the Blues to a 3rd defeat in three video games below their interim coach.
Lampard, who rested a number of first-choice starters earlier than Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg towards Actual Madrid, no less than noticed the Blues rating the primary aim of his second spell in cost when Conor Gallagher’s deflected shot beat Robert Sanchez within the Brighton aim within the thirteenth minute.
However the guests, below coach Roberto De Zerbi, have been the higher facet for lengthy spells, forcing Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga into superb saves and hitting the bar earlier than they drew degree when Welbeck squeezed between two defenders to go in off the submit within the forty second minute, shortly after approaching.
The Seagulls bought the second aim that they deserved when Paraguayan Enciso scored with an unstoppable shot from 25 yards within the 69th minute, bolstering Brighton’s hopes of European soccer for the primary time of their historical past subsequent season.
“It is vital we attempt to choose up as many factors as we are able to,” Welbeck instructed the BBC. “With the arrogance within the crew we all know we are able to go anyplace and trigger issues.”
Brighton hammered Chelsea 4-1 in October, a outcome which set in practice a hunch in type for the London facet that led to the dismissal this month of Graham Potter as coach, six months after the Blues had poached him — and 4 different backroom employees — from the south-coast facet to exchange Thomas Tuchel.
Brighton’s followers revelled within the contrasting fortunes of the 2 golf equipment, greeting Chelsea’s expensively assembled gamers with chants of “What a waste of cash” earlier than kick-off as Chelsea’s American co-owner Todd Boehly regarded on from the stands.
The outcome left Brighton seventh within the Premier League, 5 factors forward of Liverpool. They’re additionally within the FA Cup semi-finals, dealing with Manchester United subsequent weekend.
Chelsea stay marooned in eleventh place with their solely hope of any silverware this season depending on their potential to show round a 2-0 deficit towards reigning European champions Actual Madrid at residence on Tuesday.
Saturday’s defeat adopted a 1-0 loss away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in Lampard’s first sport again as caretaker coach final weekend and the unsuccessful go to to the Spanish capital in midweek.
“I am disenchanted on each degree,” Chelsea’s all-time high goal-scorer instructed the BBC. “The higher crew gained. They may have gained by extra. They performed like a crew.”
Villa harm Newcastle
An early strike from Jacob Ramsey and two second-half targets from Ollie Watkins earned Aston Villa a 3-0 win over Newcastle United within the Premier League on Saturday to maneuver Unai Emery’s rejuvenated crew to inside six factors of the highest 4.
Ramsey ran on to Watkins’ cushioned header to present Villa the lead with an emphatic side-footed end within the eleventh minute, after a wonderful cross by John McGinn.
Watkins added Villa’s second with a pointy strike on the flip from point-blank vary within the sixty fourth minute and grabbed his eleventh aim in his final 12 matches six minutes from time with a easy end on the again submit.
Tottenham defeated
Tottenham’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League have been dented after a 3-2 loss to Bournemouth following Dango Ouattara’s stoppage-time winner on Saturday.
A wild Premier League sport was gained by the guests after targets by Matias Vina and Dominic Solanke have been added to by substitute Ouattara. It earned the Cherries some revenge after their late ache within the reverse fixture in October.
It capped a nasty afternoon for Spurs’ performing head coach, Cristian Stellini, who substituted a substitute — Davinson Sanchez — after the defender’s poor 23-minute cameo and noticed his aggressive ways value his crew. Tottenham had six attackers on the sector within the ultimate minutes.
Costa scores in Wolves’ win
Diego Costa’s first Premier League aim for six years helped hearth Wolverhampton nearer to survival on Saturday.
The striker impressed the hosts to a 2-0 win over Brentford to finish his anticipate a aim after his September arrival.
Hwang Hee-chan netted the second, with Wolves now seven factors away from the relegation zone with seven video games left after successive league wins for simply the second time this season.