First Chelsea Premier League goals from Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill earned the 10-man home side a 3-2 win over Brighton and Hove Albion at a rain-sodden Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Chelsea played the entire second half a player down after captain Conor Gallagher picked up two yellow cards, but World Cup-winning Argentine Fernandez kept them in front with a goal in each half.
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Fernandez, who had only previously scored in the League Cup, headed home a neat overhead kick from defender Benoit Badiashile in the 17th minute.
Colwill, on loan at Brighton last season, doubled the lead four minutes later from a Nicolas Jackson headed pass. It was the former Chelsea youth player’s first senior goal for his team but he chose not to celebrate in front of the travelling fans.
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Chelsea looked in charge but Brighton pulled one back two minutes from halftime through a curling shot by Facundo Buonanotte, before the home side had captain Gallagher sent off by Craig Pawson on the stroke of halftime for a second yellow card after a sliding tackle on former Chelsea team mate Billy Gilmour.
Brighton pressed Chelsea in numbers at the start of the second half but substitute James Milner could not keep up with Mykhailo Mudryk on the counter and brought him down. After a six minute delay for a VAR check, Fernandez scored his second from the penalty spot in the 65th minute.
Brighton’s João Pedro made sure of a nervy final few minutes of time added on when he scored with a glancing header in the 92nd minute.
They peppered the Chelsea goal for the last hectic 10 minutes of stoppage-time and Chelsea had Robert Sánchez to thank for keeping the score in check.
Pascal Gross had three good chances saved by the Spanish keeper in regulation time and he also kept out a João Pedro effort in the 99th minute.
A final twist in the tail sent Pawson to the VAR monitor for a second time after he indicated a penalty for a handball from Colwill as Chelsea defended desperately with every player behind the ball.
The replays showed the Chelsea man had been hit in the face rather than on the arm by the ball and the decision was overturned.
The result sent Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea up a place to 10th in the table, three points behind Brighton in eighth.