Since the players first started stepping onto the field at Stamford Bridge surrounded by smoke, things have been tough for Chelsea. This trend continued over the weekend as they suffered a defeat against Brighton after making a dramatic entrance onto the pitch. The idea behind the smoke is to add some excitement to the moments before the game, much like how West Ham release bubbles at the London Stadium.

Even though Chelsea went into halftime leading 1-0 against Brighton, thanks to a deflected goal from Reece James, the final score of 1-3 accurately reflected Brighton’s dominance in the second half. The Blues faced even more challenges when Trevoh Chalobah was sent off just four minutes into the second half, leaving them with ten men on the field for the second week in a row.

The lack of discipline was evident towards the end of the match when a scuffle broke out, involving sub Benoit Badiashile and Brighton captain Lewis Dunk. The referee, Simon Hooper, struggled with his decisions throughout the game, adding to the chaos on the field.

Brighton fans have enjoyed recent success, fueled in part by Chelsea’s spending, with visiting fans at Stamford Bridge expressing their displeasure at the expensive players brought in from the south coast. As the final whistle blew, Chelsea fans made their way back to Fulham Broadway tube station feeling dejected.

The team’s position in the Premier League table is slipping, and their next challenge will be against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge following a midweek Champions League match against Benfica.