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3 goals and NO points? Brighton manager frustrated after Stamford Bridge thriller against Chelsea
31st August, 2026 08:33 AM
Brighton & Hove Albion coach Fabian Hurzeler has expressed his frustrations with the 4-3 defeat against Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, August 30, 2026.
A spirited display from the visitors saw them inches away from holding the high-flying Xabi Alonso’s side before Chelsea’s overall pedigree proved pivotal towards the end of the clash to sink the coastside club.
The Seagulls trailed Chelsea 3-0 after goals from Romeo Lavia, Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto put the Blues in cruise control.
The determined visitors, however, almost came back in the second half with a goal from Malick Yalcouye and an own goal after Pedro turned a corner into his own net, taking them back to a goal down amid a missed chance from Diego Gomez.
Their hopes for a memorable comeback were dashed inside the final twenty minutes thanks to Cole Palmer’s individual brilliance. The England playmaker picked up the ball deep in midfield, drove past two defenders, and curled a sublime strike beyond Bart Verbruggen’s despairing dive.
Speaking on the results, the German technician revealed that his side should have at least earned a point.
Frustrated
“I think scoring three goals should be enough to take something home for us. It is frustrating for us,” he told the club portal.
He admitted that at the end the Blues’ quality shone through, especially in terms of taking the decisive action and proving the decisive key moments of the game.
Small, key details
“The small things made the difference, like how tight you can be at the back and defending set pieces and switching on important moments. We controlled the game and made plenty of chances; at the end, it is their quality that showed, and in transition moments, which they made quite good today,” he stated.
Pascal Gross grabbed a late consolation goal in stoppage time, but Chelsea held firm to seal a dramatic victory and cap off an entertaining seven-goal thriller.
The victory saw Chelsea remain unbeaten in Alonso’s three opening competitive fixtures, taking them to third place with the same points as leaders Manchester City and Hull City. Meanwhile, Brighton, who had beaten Villa for four in their opening games, are placed eighth.
