After the battle with Leicester City ended, Chelsea once again faced a packed schedule.
In the 24th round of the Premier League, Chelsea played against Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
Recently, Brighton had been in good form, maintaining an unbeaten record in their last five matches.
As the game started, Chelsea, despite playing away from home, showed great enthusiasm.
Right from the first whistle, they took the initiative and went on the attack!
It didn't take long for Chelsea to put pressure on Brighton's defense.
Just 10 minutes into the game, Chelsea finally broke the deadlock after a series of relentless attacks.
For this match, Coach Conte chose not to start Su Luo.
However, despite his absence, Chelsea's offensive strength remained sharp, especially with Hazard on the left wing.
Undeniably, Hazard had been in outstanding form in recent games.
He was constantly a threat to opposing defenses, and this game was no exception.
In the attacking third, Hazard received a precise pass from Kanté and immediately took advantage of his speed.
Of course, Brighton's defenders were no pushovers.
Both Stephens and Propper were highly focused on stopping him.
The moment Hazard received the ball, they immediately closed in to apply pressure.
But at the critical moment, Hazard showcased his brilliance.
Despite facing a double-team from Stephens and Propper, he remained composed.
With a sudden shift in rhythm, he accelerated forcefully.
As he surged forward, his explosive power was on full display.
No defender could stop him.
In the blink of an eye, Hazard had reached the edge of the penalty area.
At this moment, his decision was clear.
After a quick glance at Brighton's goalkeeper, Mathew Ryan, Hazard made a split-second choice.
Timing his shot perfectly, he struck the ball with precision!
The shot was flawless!
Brighton's goalkeeper, Mathew Ryan, had no time to react.
He could only watch as the ball flew past him into the net.
Chelsea had taken the lead—1-0!
With the opening goal secured, Chelsea took full control of the match.
In the following minutes, they focused on maintaining possession rather than attacking recklessly.
Instead of pushing forward aggressively, they opted to sit back and defend solidly.
This was a tactical decision by Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte.
In his view, with Su Luo not starting, breaking down Brighton's defense wouldn't be easy.
The best strategy was to stabilize the team first and secure the lead.
For the remainder of the first half, Brighton, playing at home, launched wave after wave of attacks.
Mahy and Groß, in particular, were constantly looking for opportunities.
However, despite their efforts, they failed to create any real threats on goal.
Chelsea's defense stood firm, and the first half came to an end.
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