Chelsea 4-2 Brighton: Palmer’s haul seals victory at Stamford Bridge

Cole Palmer’s four goals, a team record, helped Chelsea defeat Brighton 4-2 earlier today. Georginio Rutter and Carlos Baleba scored the goals for the Seagulls.

With 15 goals so far this season, the Blues have scored more than any other team in the Premier League. with Manchester City trailing closely behind with 14. Even anchor O’Hara praises them after their four victories in the previous five games. He believes they have a good chance of winning the league for the first time since 2017.

Speaking on talkSPORT after Chelsea’s win, O’Hara said: “Chelsea look good. Cole Palmer is an absolute joy to watch, every time he gets the ball something happens.

“Chelsea are the real deal. I don’t care what anyone says. Everyone was digging them out at the start of the season for what they were doing and how they were treating players.“It looks like they’ve got it right. What a squad they’ve got.

“I’m telling you, they can fight for the title. They are that good.” Despite believing in Chelsea’s hype this season, O’Hara does think they have a key flaw that could stand in their way.

He added: “The one issue they have is Robert Sanchez and the back four. But going forward they are frightening.”

At the beginning of the game, Sanchez had moved out to claim a shot from one of Brighton players, but Rutter beat him and nestled his header into the net. With two clean sheets this season, the Blues goalkeeper does have the joint-second-most in the league.

He’s on par with Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels. Chelsea has let up less goals than the teams above them on the leaderboard, having given up a total of seven goals in the league. The leaders of Manchester City have let up six goals.

Runner-up Liverpool has conceded just one goal, while Arsenal has allowed five. The former Blues player Cundy is keeping his feet firmly planted despite O’Hara’s words of praise. He said: “We are not in a title race. We are the sort of team who can do this to Brighton but then can play Forest next weekend and lose 2-1.

“[Last time] we had Hazard, John Terry, Petr Cech in goal. Top four, absolutely, maybe third. To get past Arsenal, who are way down the line than we are, and City too is too much. We’ve got a chance of getting in the top four, that’s our battle.”