Brighton came from behind to cause an FA Cup upset against Chelsea at the Amex Stadium, with Kaoru Mitoma's winner sending the Seagulls through to the fifth round.
2024/2025 FA Cup
2-1
Match Report
Bouncing back from last week's 7-0 Premier League defeat to Nottingham Forest, Fabian Hurzeler's team were generally good value for their win, which ended Enzo Maresca's hopes of winning a domestic cup in his first season with Chelsea.
Chelsea went ahead in fortuitous circumstances after just five minutes. Cole Palmer found space to drill a cross-shot in from the left, and Verbruggen inexplicably spilled it into his net for an own goal.
But Brighton only needed seven further minutes to hit back, Georginio Rutter heading Joel Veltman's weighted cross into the bottom-left corner.
Palmer missed Chelsea's best chance to restore their lead before half-time, sending a header onto the roof of the net after Christopher Nkunku elected to pass when he could have gone for goal.
Brighton completed the turnaround in the 57th minute, Mitoma taking in Rutter's delightful dinked pass then prodding past former Seagulls goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
The hosts were rarely troubled from then on, with Chelsea's best chance to level spurned by a stretching Palmer in the 74th minute.
Data Debrief: Rutter the cup magician
Rutter has enjoyed playing in the FA Cup lately, having scored twice as Brighton crushed Norwich City 4-0 in the third round.
With a goal and an assist here, he now has six goal involvements in his last three FA Cup games (four goals, two assists), despite those appearances only totalling 176 minutes.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have failed to progress for just the third time in their last 28 FA Cup fourth-round ties, having also gone out to Everton (in 2010-11) and Bradford City (2014-15).
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
2' Dewsbury-Hall gets a snap shot but can only drill a strike into the side netting
5' Palmer's cross makes an own goal of Verbruggen! Brighton 0-1 Chelsea
5' Match Event for Brighton vs Chelsea
12' Georginio Rutter flicks a header to equalize quickly! Brighton 1-1 Chelsea
20' Georginio Rutter slides in from behind, chops down Caicedo and sees yellow
27' Veltman gets booked for bringing down Marc Cucurell
31' Palmer tries to loop a header under the crossbar but it goes over the top
38' Neto gets treatment for injury and is back to the game
48' Neto lets fly with a blistering effort from 25 yards with his left foot
57' Superb finish from Mitoma turns it around! Brighton 2-1 Chelsea
62' Chelsea fans were claiming a handball, but we don't have VAR in the cup
66' Enzo tries to curl one into the top corner but he can only scoop it over the top
68' Match Event for Brighton vs Chelsea
72' Highlight from Brighton vs Chelsea
74' Palmer off balance and unable to divert the ball goalwards
77' Brighton players appeal for a penalty as Pedro falls in the box
82' Match Event for Brighton vs Chelsea
Line-ups
Brighton XI: Welbeck, Veltman, Dunk, Kaoru Mitoma, Tariq Lamptey, Georginio Rutter, Jan Paul van Hecke, Bart Verbruggen, Carlos Baleba, Yankuba Minteh, Jack Hinshelwood
Subs: Webster, Tom McGill, Matt O'Riley, João Pedro, Eiran Cashin, Yasin Ayari, Diego Gómez, Simon Adingra, Brajan Gruda
Chelsea XI: Adarabioyo, Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, Nkunku, Sancho, Robert Sánchez, Pedro Neto, Dewsbury-Hall, Cole Palmer, Caicedo, Gusto
Subs: Madueke, Jørgensen, Enzo, Colwill, Josh Acheampong, Tyrique George, Ishé Samuels-Smith, Mathis Amougou, Aarón Anselmino