Conor Gallagher: Brighton wanted it more than us

Conor Gallagher has admitted Chelsea deserved to be on the losing end of a 4-1 scoreline against Brighton, claiming the Seagulls 'wanted it a bit more than us.'

The Blues had been unbeaten under new manager Graham Potter, but it was the manager's former club who proved to be his undoing as Chelsea succumbed to a heavy defeat.

Leandro Trossard opened the scoring before own goals by Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Trevoh Chalobah put Roberto de Zerbi's side in control.

Kai Havertz pulled one back for Chelsea but it was to no avail, as midfielder Pascal Gross scored in stoppage time to hand De Zerbi his first win as Brighton manager.

Speaking to Chelsea's official website after the match, Gallagher said: "It's a tough one to take.

"At the end of the day, we were not good enough individually or as a team. It seemed like they wanted it a bit more than us. We have to look at ourselves. We're to blame and we are gutted, very disappointed in ourselves as a team as we know we're so much more professional than that.

"Credit to Brighton, they were very good. They're a top team, their fans were up for it."

Despite falling two goals behind in the early stages, Chelsea never looked truly out of the game and spurned a number of chances to score themselves.

"We were always in the game, even at half-time when we were three down," said Gallagher.

"It shows we did have chances and I should have scored in the first half which could have changed the game. It didn't go that way. But we need to defend better as a team.

"We shouldn't be conceding that many goals so we're very disappointed.

"We're at fault. We need to look at the mistakes, learn from them, dust ourselves off and go again."

Chelsea currently sit in fifth place in the Premier League table, though they have a game in hand on fourth-placed Newcastle.

For Brighton, the win lifts them up to eighth and arrests a slump in form which began when Potter left the club to replace Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.