BRIGHTON, England (April 21, 2026) (Interstat) — Brighton & Hove Albion opened its Premier League season with a commanding 3-0 victory over Chelsea on Tuesday at American Express Stadium, defying a pre-match projection of a draw.

Ferdi Kadıoğlu opened the scoring in the third minute. Jack Hinshelwood doubled the lead in the 56th before Danny Welbeck sealed the win in first-half stoppage time. Assists came from Wesley Fofana and Yankuba Minteh, who each also received yellow cards.

The result handed Chelsea a loss in its first match of the campaign across all competitions, while Brighton started with a win. Interstat’s pre-game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, but Brighton controlled the match from the outset.