Brighton & Hove Albion 0-4 Chelsea: Player Ratings

Defending champions Chelsea bounced back following their streak of winless matches in emphatic fashion as they swept aside a poor Brighton side, who once again failed to put the ball in the back of the net.

The game didn't require any time sparking into life as Chelsea raced to a two-goal lead through strikes from Eden Hazard and Willian inside the first six minutes. Brighton, despite their catastrophic start to the game, however, did grow into the tie and looked quite dangerous at times.

A brave second-half performance from the Seagulls is one of the many reasons why the scoreline reflects very harshly among the Brighton supporters as they threw men forward in an attempt to get back into the game.

Here are the Brighton and Chelsea players rated in their pulsating game at the Amex Stadium.

Brighton and Hove Albion

Matt Ryan: 7/10

Made a few stunning saves to keep his team from facing further humiliation against Chelsea. His save to deny Michy Batshuayi, in particular, was very important as the Austrailian denied Chelsea from scoring their third goal in quick succession.

Ezequiel Schelotto: 7.5/10

A livewire throughout the game, Schelotto was one of the most intriguing players on the pitch. His tenacity to be at the receiving end of a pass was impressive. However, at the end of the day, the Argentine lacked the quality to make any telling difference.

Connor Goldson: 4.5/10

An awful outing for Goldson, who was largely anonymous for the most period of the game. The 25-year-old also struggled to keep check of Eden Hazard more than once.

Shane Duffy: 6/10

Although he showed terrific commitment, especially in offensive set-pieces, Shane Duffy made some terrible mistakes which gifted some great opportunities to Chelsea. He also looked very uncomfortable with his passing.

Lewis Dunk: 6.5/10

The better of the Brighton defenders, Dunk was somewhat composed compared to his defensive partners. However, that is not to say that he was anywhere near impressive in defending against Chelsea's attacking trio of Hazard, Willian and Batshuayi.

Markus Suttner: 5.5/10

His crosses were not as accurate as they should have been while his defensive actions were also quite awful.

Pascal Gross: 7/10

Was very instrumental in Brighton's creative play in the attacking third. The former Ingolstadt man produced a few dangerous crosses which caused a lot of problems for the Chelsea backline. He also looked very composed while on the ball. Got subbed off during the final phase of the game.

Dale Stephens: 6/10

Looked clueless for the most part of the game. Aside from making one or two key interceptions, the 28-year-old was totally outclassed by Brighton's much superior opponents.

Davy Propper: 6.5/10

Didn't have much influence in the first half. However, he grew into the game after the break and create a few chances for his team. That being said, the Dutch midfield always lacked the support from his teammates.

Solly March: 7/10

A very useful attacking outlet in the opposition half, Solly March always looked for an opening throughout the game. However, due to lack of support, the 23-year-old failed to make any telling difference.

Tomer Hemed: 6/10

Struggled to impose himself on the pitch as the Israeli striker was completely isolated in the final third. However, he could have pulled one back for the Seagulls in the first half where his shot was brilliantly saved by Willy Caballero.

Substitutes

Glenn Murray: 5/10

Replaced Tomer Hemed later in the second half as he was installed as a target man by Chris Hughes. However, he couldn't make much of an impact due to his lack of mobility in the attacking third.

Beram Kayal: 5.5/10

Provided some energetic moments after coming on for Pascal Gross in the second half even though he did fail to create any real chances for his team.

Jose Izquierdo: N/A

Was introduced later in the game as he replaced the tiring Solly March.

Chelsea

Willy Caballero: 5/10

Looked very uncertain throughout the game as the former Man City keeper lacked decision making and was quite vulnerable. Apart from his stunning save to deny Hemed a goal in the first half, he definitely deserves some stick for not being able to impose his authority even inside his own box.

Cesar Azpilicueta: 7.5/10

A far more composed of the Chelsea centre-backs, Azpilicueta remained solid throughout the game. He did well not to let Solly March find any support in the final third and was also impressive in the team's build-up play.

Andreas Christensen: 7/10

One of the main sources of Chelsea's build-up play from the back, Christensen provided 51 passes in just 58 minutes, most by any player on the pitch at that time. While in defence, the Dane did look uncertain at times when dealing with the Brighton counter attacks. His injury in the second half meant he had to make way for David Luiz.

Antonio Rudiger: 7.5/10

Made a couple of errors which could have been much more costlier for Chelsea. Apart from that, the German international remained solid defensively for the most part of the game.

Victor Moses: 7/10

It was an off day for the Nigerian International throughout the game. Even though his goal in the final minute may suggest otherwise, Moses was largely anonymous in the game and offered very little support in the attacking half. However, he definitely deserves credit for that sumptuous first touch and then the finish for his first goal of the season.

N'Golo Kante: 7/10

Looked off-colour for the most part of the game as the Frenchman failed to make a nuisance of himself in the middle third of the pitch. He also made a key mistake which could have had more dire consequences in the first half. That being said, his passing was top-notch as was his distribution.

Tiemoue Bakayoko: 8/10

Steadied the ship in midfield with some fantastic tackling and defensive play in the centre of the park. Bakayoko's well-timed tackles certainly put a stop to many of Brighton's chance creations inside Chelsea's half.

Marcos Alonso: 6.5/10

Was nowhere near his own self as the Spaniard found it difficult to march forward due to the presence of Ezequiel Schelotto in the left flank. He was rightly subbed off in the final phase of the game as he made way for Davide Zappacosta.

Willian: 9.5/10

A real spark plug in the attacking half, Willian's ability to create chances as well as linking up with fellow teammates proved to be a handful for the opposition defence. Aside from creating Chelsea's third goal, Willian was the scorer of that beautiful goal, which could really be considered as one of the goals of the season.

Eden Hazard: 10/10

A livewire throughout the game, Eden Hazard's presence in the final third was just too much for the poor Brighton defence, which struggled to cope with the telepathic link-up play from Chelsea's attackers. Hazard's opener inside three minutes paved way for what followed, was an absolute onslaught while his second-half goal helped the Blues clinch all three points against the Seagulls.

Michy Batshuayi: 8/10

Was excellent in the first half where he linked up well with his teammates, notably Hazard and Willian. He was the provider of Willian's world-class goal in early stages of the game.

However, his performance started to fade as the game wore on.

Substitutes

David Luiz: 7/10

Lead the backline after coming on for injured Andreas Christensen. His intimidating presence in the backline helped Chelsea see off their impeccable lead against their opposition.

Davide Zappacosta: 6.5/10

Replaced a struggling Marcos Alonso for the final phase of the game. However, he wasn't involved in much apart from some defensive clearances.

Charly Musonda: 8/10

Took no time making his mark in the proceedings as the Belgian youngster provided a jaw-dropping assist for Victor Moses' late strike. He definitely makes a strong case for receiving more game time in the coming matches.