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Brighton held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at the American Express Community Stadium on Tuesday.
The visitors started the game on a positive note, but Brighton soon asserted their control on proceedings. Danny Welbeck led the charge for his team, engaging well with the Blues' backline.
However, much against the run of play, Hakim Ziyech smacked put Chelsea in the lead. The Moroccan international drove past Robert Sanchez from outside the box after receiving the ball from N'Golo Kante to break the deadlock.
The Seagulls came roaring out in the second half, and rattled the visitors with their energy and determination. Their efforts bore fruit, as they bagged their equaliser in the 60th minute, with Adam Webster heading in following a delicious cross from Mac Allister.
Both teams searched for the winner, but had to be content with a share of the spoils.
With the draw, Tuchel's men remain third in the standings, but are now 12 points behind league leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand. The Blues have now won just once in their last five games. Meanwhile, Brighton remain in ninth place.
On that note, here's a look at five talking points from the game:
#5 Chelsea fail to deliver up front
The Blues did not enjoy the best of nights in front of goal. The Londoners looked sluggish, and lacked creativity higher up the pitch. Despite having the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount, their expected goals was just 0.62.
Chelsea had no fluidity in the final third, and struggled for ideas up front. Apart from Ziyech's goal, Thomas Tuchel's men hardly looked threatening. Moreover, the disconnect between Ziyech and Lukaku was quite evident, and has started hurting the team. The chemistry between the two was a complete miss.
#4 Graham Potter's Brighton continue to impress
Graham Potter has transformed the Brighton squad into a well-knit team, and their results speak for themselves. The 46-year-old is doing an outstanding job at Brighton, who are quite balanced, and their transitions are a joy to watch.
Brighton are now unbeaten in their last five games in the league and six in all competitions. They have also denied the Blues a win twice during this period. Potter has helped his team amass 29 points after 21 games in the Premier League.
Moreover, his team have lost just four games in the league so far. Only the top three teams Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have lost fewer games than Brighton this term.
#3 Adam Webster shines for Brighton
Adam Webster shone against Chelsea. The 27-year-old gave the visitors a heartache with his stunning performance.
Not only was he rock-solid at the back, but he also scored the equaliser for Brighton to put them on level terms at the hour mark. The Englishman scored a thumping header off a meaty cross by Mac Allister to beat Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Webster won 100% of his duels. He won six duels, made six clearances, intercepted the ball twice, made seven recoveries, completed one dribble and won one tackle throughout the game. It was an all-round performance by the captain.
#2 Brighton produce a massive second-half display against Chelsea
Brighton started the second half impressively, putting Chelsea on the back foot. Their relentless attacks had the visitors scrambling for ideas. Their sheer determination was awarded with a goal in the 60th minute when Adam Webster levelled proceedings.
The Seagulls were not content with a draw, and wanted to take all three points. They threw everything they had in their arsenal, but Chelsea managed to stand their ground to force a share of the spoils.
#1 Chelsea are in a rut
The Blues are going through a rough patch at the moment. They have drawn five of their last seven games.
Their last win in the league came against Aston Villa on Boxing Day, which they won 3-1. Since then, they have drawn 1-1 against Brighton twice and 2-2 against Liverpool. They were coming off a 1-0 loss to leaders Manchester City last weekend.
With this draw, Thomas Tuchel's team squandered an opportunity to provisionally leapfrog second-placed Liverpool in the league table. They could trail Manchester City by 15 points if City win their game in hand.
Pressure is mounting on Tuchel to turn the tide, and he needs to deliver soon if he is to avoid getting the sack. The Blues have won just thrice in their last eleven games, which has all but ended their title hopes.
They'll next take on Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
