Minteh double and Mitoma stunner sink sorry Londoners

Kaoru Mitoma scored one of the goals of the season and Yankuba Minteh netted twice as Brighton repeated their FA Cup victory over Chelsea with a win in the Premier League this evening.

Japan international Mitoma opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a piece of sublime individual skill.

There appeared little danger when Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen launched the ball forward but Mitoma controlled it deftly on his right foot before skipping inside Trevoh Chalobah and bending a right-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner.

“A touch from the heavens” 💫

Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma puts the hosts in front with an OUTRAGEOUS goal 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/Q35NdQcj5R

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 14, 2025

Minteh then scored a goal in each half to see Brighton through to a comfortable win as they reprised their 2-1 victory of six days ago.

It was a miserable night for Chelsea, whose fans made for the exits a long time before the final whistle.

Chelsea lack attacking spark

Chelsea were playing without a recognised centre forward – Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu both absent through injury – with winger Christopher Nkunku again asked to play more centrally in a false nine role.

It was a tactic Enzo Maresca employed last weekend with little success and it failed again tonight.

Nkunku worked hard but with little joy as Chelsea had plenty of the ball without carrying much threat going forward.

That was demonstrated in the first 17 minutes with Cole Palmer twice wasting presentable opportunities, firing his first effort high over the bar and slicing the second horribly wide of the target.

Brighton were far more decisive in the final third with Mitoma showing the Londoners how it should be done from Brighton’s first real chance.

The visitors responded well initially to going behind. Pedro Neto shot over before the Portugal winger saw an effort superbly blocked by Adam Webster, who was standing in for injured Brighton captain Lewis Dunk.

From the resulting corner, Malo Gusto’s cross was headed home by Enzo Fernandez but the Argentina midfielder’s effort was ruled out for a shove in the back of Joel Veltman.

Minteh grabs his first

Brighton rode the storm and made it 2-0 seven minutes before half-time. Neat interplay enabled Georginio Rutter to escape down the left and when his cross was partially blocked by Levi Colwill, Danny Welbeck picked up the loose ball and fed Minteh who stepped inside Marc Cucurella and lashed home.

Minteh doubles Brighton’s advantage! 🔵

Rutter and Welbeck in the build-up 👏 pic.twitter.com/DB5u5ULdjf

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 14, 2025

Palmer remained a peripheral figure – the England international looking jaded compared to his early-season form – and without his probing, Chelsea were subdued.

That meant the game meandered until bursting into life again after 63 minutes.

Game over

Colwill thought he had been fouled but referee Chris Kavanagh waved away his protests and Welbeck and Minteh combined again before the Gambia winger stepped inside the hapless Cucurella before firing past Filip Jorgensen.

“It’s as if Jörgensen wasn’t there” 😬

Yankuba Minteh gets his second and puts Brighton three goals ahead 💥 pic.twitter.com/XdOQxz9ZE8

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 14, 2025

Veltman hit a post late on, his shot striking Jorgensen in the face before rebounding on to the upright and Verbruggen did well after Webster diverted a cross towards his own goal.

Brighton moved up to eighth as a result while Chelsea remain fourth.