Graham Potter’s return to Brighton & Hove Albion didn’t go exactly as planned on Saturday. Chelsea was beaten 4-1 on the south coast. The end result doesn’t exactly tell the full story of the match, either. Brighton had plenty of chances to add to the impressive scoreline even further.
The Seagulls flew out the door, scoring twice within the first 14 minutes of the game. They went into the halftime break with a 3-0 lead. Although Chelsea came from behind to score just minutes into the second half, Pascal Gross scored his club’s fourth and final goal of the day.
Home fans at American Express Community Stadium serenaded Potter with boos and even a “fired in the morning” song throughout the match.
Potter spent just over three seasons with Brighton. His coaching style was praised when he turned the Seagulls into quite a formidable Premier League side. Potter’s game was rewarded with a move to Chelsea in early September following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.
After the match, the former Brighton boss spoke to the BBC about the disappointing result. “Yes, of course, the score and the loss are painful,” Potter admitted. “We didn’t really recover. Once the crowd got so involved, it was hard for us. The marker was painful. Brighton played a good game, especially in the first half”.
Potter was also asked about the boos from local fans. “I have nothing to apologize or apologize for,” Potter stated. “I think I did a good job at the club and I left it in a good place, but people have a right to their opinion.”
The loss was Potter’s first defeat for the Blues. He previously went undefeated in nine games in total. Ironically, new Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi recorded his first win for his new club on that day.
Chelsea’s schedule doesn’t get any easier from here. Their next Premier League match is against Arsenal, then they travel to Manchester City for a League Cup match.
