MATCH REPORT Brighton 2-1 Chelsea: Mitoma on target as Seagulls stage inspiring comeback to dump Chelsea out of FA Cup.

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Just seven days ago, Fabian Hürzeler’s Brighton team suffered a humiliating 7-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest. However, the German manager’s rallying cry of “intensity” seemed to have struck a chord with his players as they bounced back in style against Chelsea.

The Seagulls’ fans were on edge as they welcomed their London rivals to the Amex Stadium on Saturday night for the FA Cup fourth round clash, given the recent history between the two clubs. The animosity towards Chelsea was palpable, with Moisés Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, and Robert Sánchez – who had lost his place in the team last week – roundly booed by the home supporters from the first whistle.

Chelsea raced into an early lead inside five minutes courtesy of a howler from Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. Cole Palmer’s cross should have been routine for Verbruggen, but he inexplicably spilled the ball into his own net. The blunder was a stark reminder of Verbruggen’s mistake against Nottingham Forest, which had led to a goal.

However, Rutter’s clever header from Joel Veltman’s cross drew Brighton level just six minutes later. The equalizer sparked a chain reaction of events that left Chelsea reeling. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was booked for a reckless challenge on Kaoru Mitoma, and Marc Cucurella was also shown a yellow card after being shoved to the ground by Veltman.

As the first half drew to a close, Christopher Nkunku squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to restore Chelsea’s lead. Instead, it was Brighton who continued to push forward, with Rutter’s lung-busting run down the left flank causing chaos in the Chelsea defense. Cucurella had to clear the danger when Rutter cut the ball back across goal.

The second half saw Brighton maintain their intensity, and they eventually took the lead midway through the half. Mitoma’s clever flick over the diving Robert Sánchez was the result of a sustained period of pressure that began with Carlos Baleba’s impressive pirouette on the edge of his own area. Yankuba Minteh’s run down the right flank had also caused problems for Chelsea’s defense.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca responded by introducing Enzo Fernández off the bench, but the Argentina midfielder’s first act was to direct a shot well off target. As the clock ticked down, Brighton’s fans sensed victory, and their team’s persistent pressure eventually told.

Moisés Caicedo’s booking for clattering into Tariq Lamptey was met with cheers from the home faithful, who were determined to see their team over the line. João Pedro thought he should have had a penalty when he was shoved over by Cucurella inside the area, but referee Jarred Gillet waved away his appeals.

In the end, Brighton’s 2-1 victory was enough to see them past a dispirited Chelsea team and into the last 16 of the FA Cup, as Hürzeler’s team celebrated their first win at the Amex Stadium since beating Manchester City in November.