

After only 17 minutes, the Argentine midfielder headed the Blues ahead. Four minutes later, former Brighton loanee Levi Colwill extended the advantage with his first Chelsea goal. The visitors responded with a spectacular curling attempt from Facundo Buonanotte, and when Chelsea captain Conor Gallagher was given a second yellow card and sent off just before halftime, they were back in the game. But halfway through the second half, Fernandez scored from the penalty spot to give Chelsea a two-goal lead again.
When James Milner challenged the breaking Mykhailo Mudryk inside the area, referee Craig Pawson first waved play on. However, after being sent to the screen by the video assistant referee, Pawson gave the penalty. Joao Pedro's flicked header in the second minute of injury time gave Brighton a response, but they were still unable to generate enough chances to give Chelsea any serious concern despite dominating possession.