Chelsea suffered their second 3-0 defeat at Brighton in the space of a week as their away struggles continued at the Amex Stadium on Friday night.
The Blues turned in a woeful display, failing to register a single shot on target as they extended their winless run away from home to six matches.
It marks a concerning trend for Enzo Maresca's side, who have not won on the road since their victory against Tottenham on December 8 in the Premier League.
The defeat leaves Chelsea vulnerable in fourth place, with both Manchester City and Newcastle able to overtake them this weekend.
Kaoru Mitoma scored a stunning goal after a deft touch from Bart Verbruggen's long kick
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The visitors were fortunate to only concede three goals in what proved to be another miserable night on the south coast.
Brighton took the lead in spectacular fashion after 27 minutes through Kaoru Mitoma, who produced what Sky Sports commentator Jamie Carragher described as a "Messi-like" moment of brilliance.
The Japanese winger expertly brought down Bart Verbruggen's long clearance with an extraordinary first touch.
He then proceeded to get past Trevoh Chalobah before bending a precise finish into the bottom corner, leaving Chelsea's defender dumbfounded.
The goal set the tone for what would become a dreadful evening for the visitors, who found themselves chasing shadows on the south coast.
Yankuba Minteh doubled Brighton's advantage before the break, capitalising on a goalmouth scramble after Levi Colwill's attempted clearance deflected off Filip Jorgensen.
Danny Welbeck laid the ball off for the Gambian striker to score his first of the night in the 38th minute.
Any hopes of a Chelsea comeback were extinguished just past the hour mark when Minteh secured his brace, cutting past Marc Cucurella before drilling the ball past Jorgensen.
Enzo Maresca is under pressure after a disastrous run of form from Chelsea
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The striker's clinical finishing highlighted Chelsea's defensive frailties, with the visitors looking particularly vulnerable at the back throughout the match.
Brighton could have extended their lead further, with Joel Veltman hitting the post as the home side continued to dominate proceedings.
The defeat leaves Chelsea's grip on fourth place looking increasingly precarious ahead of Saturday's fixtures.
Manchester City could leapfrog the Blues if they secure victory against Newcastle United at St James' Park.
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Brighton badly exposed Chelsea's weaknesses after a 3-0 thrashing
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The result sees Brighton move up to eighth place in the Premier League table, now sitting just six points behind Chelsea.
For Maresca's side, it continues a concerning run of form that has seen them secure just two wins in their last nine Premier League matches.
The Blues' attacking woes were epitomised by Cole Palmer's below-par performance, with the usually reliable forward lacking conviction in front of goal.
With their away form showing no signs of improvement, Chelsea face an increasingly challenging battle to maintain their top-four position.
