Bart Verbruggen – whose disastrous own goal last week gifted Chelsea the lead – picked out Mitoma with a raking pass and the Japan winger’s first touch as the ball dropped over his head was immaculate before he drifted past Trevoh Chalobah and curled the ball past Jörgensen with aplomb.
Three defeats in their last four matches and with Cole Palmer enduring a frustrating night as he laboured as a false 9, at times Maresca seemed lost on the touchline as he watched his side struggle to find a way back into the game after Yankuba Minteh had made it 2-0 before half-time.
Maresca had brushed off criticism from some supporters this week after saying that their exit from the FA Cup meant they could concentrate on the Premier League, insisting that qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 2022 would take the club back to where it “belongs”.
The Brighton manager called on his players to improve their wretched recent home form that had seen them fail to win any of their last five league matches here, including defeats by Crystal Palace and Everton, if they are to stand any chance of qualifying for Europe next season and once again got the response he required.
A week after he sent them tumbling out of the FA Cup, a breathtaking piece of control from the Japan winger to score the opening goal set up another memorable victory for Brighton and piled more pressure on the Chelsea manager.
