21 Apr 2026

Brighton 3-0 Chelsea: Kadioglu leads the way

Brighton & Hove Albion put together a complete Premier League performance to beat Chelsea 3-0 at the American Express Stadium in Round 34. Ferdi Kadioglu struck inside three minutes, Jack Hinshelwood added a second on 56 minutes, and Danny Welbeck finished the job in stoppage time.

Chelsea did not register a shot on target, while Robert Sánchez’s four saves kept the score from being heavier. On Sofascore, Kadioglu led all players with a 9.1 Sofascore Rating.

Kadioglu sets the tone early

Brighton, set up in a 4-2-3-1 under Fabian Hurzeler, flew out of the blocks. Pascal Groß delivered a high cross to the far side and Kadioglu lashed in from the right channel after just three minutes.

The hosts controlled most of the first half with 60% possession and seven shots to one. Chelsea, in a 4-4-1-1 under Liam Rosenior, had a booking for Wesley Fofana right before the break and struggled to progress centrally.

Key numbers tell the story

Across 90 minutes, Brighton led shots 15-6 and shots on target 9-0. The xG split backed it up, 2.17 to 0.38, and touches in the box finished 30-15 in the home side’s favor.

Final-third entries also leaned Brighton’s way at 59-45, even as Chelsea edged overall duels 53%. The second goal underlined Brighton’s threat: Georginio Rutter fed Hinshelwood, who finished cleanly on 56 minutes. Late on, substitute Maxim De Cuyper teed up Welbeck for 3-0 in the 90th minute.

Defensive calm and a clean sheet

Brighton’s back line kept things tidy. Bart Verbruggen did not need a save, with Jan Paul van Hecke contributing four clearances and a last-man tackle. Brighton won 77% of their tackles, recovered more balls (47-37) and forced four Chelsea offsides.

Chelsea’s best performer was Sánchez, who made four stops and posted 0.24 goals prevented. Beyond Fofana’s first-half caution, Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh saw yellow on 58 minutes as Craig Pawson kept cards to a minimum.

Sofascore Ratings: standout performers

Kadioglu topped the match with a 9.1 Sofascore Rating, scoring once from three shots on target and adding steady progressive carries. Hinshelwood’s all-action display brought a goal and an xG of 1.03.

Mitoma (7.6) and Olivier Boscagli (7.6) were sharp on both sides of the ball, while van Hecke (7.5) and captain Groß (7.4) added control and chance creation. Super-sub Welbeck needed only 12 minutes to score and land a 7.4.

For Chelsea, Sánchez’s 7.3 stood out on a difficult evening that saw no shots on target and four offsides. Fans can dive deeper into every player’s Sofascore Rating, heatmaps and event data on Sofascore.