Graham Potter has reflected upon his 'painful' return to Brighton & Hove Albion as Chelsea suffered an embarrassing 4-1 loss in the Premier League.
The Blues were looking to go ten games unbeaten under their new head coach, but were convincingly defeated by the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium.
It could not have been a worse start for Potter's team who found themselves a goal down after just five minutes when Leandro Trossard rounded Kepa Arrizabalaga to give the hosts the lead.
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The damage was doubled in the 14th minute when Ruben Loftus-Cheek diverted Solly March's corner in to his own net off the crossbar.
Before the whistle blew for half-time, Brighton made it three, this time it was Trevoh Chalobah scoring an own goal to extend their advantage.
READ MORE: Player ratings: Brighton 4-1 Chelsea | Premier League
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While Chelsea clawed a goal back early in the second half, courtesy of Kai Havertz, it was not enough for them to mount a comeback.
The game was finally put to bed in the 92nd minute when Pascal Gross followed in on a Edouard Mendy save to give the hosts their fourth of the afternoon.
It was a dismal display from the west London side who had put in such a good performance to win 2-1 in midweek against RB Salzburg in the Champions League.
Potter would have expected a lot more from his side as he returned to take on the club he switched from back in September.
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READ MORE: 5 Things Learned: Brighton 4-1 Chelsea | Premier League
Speaking after the game, the 47-year-old said: "Yes of course the score-line and the defeat is a painful one. We didn't really recover.
"Once the crowd were so engaged it was a difficult one for us. The score-line was painful. Brighton played a good game, especially in the first half."
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He also touched upon the reception he received from the fans who used to love him so much.
He told BBC Sport: "I have nothing to apologise or say sorry for. I think I did a good job at the club and left in a good place but people are entitled to their opinions.
"It's part of the process. You have to suffer and feel pain in order to grow and get better.
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"Nobody said we were the finished article. We have to take the pain from today and learn from it."
This loss is the first since Potter took the reigns and he will be hoping for a vastly improved performance in midweek against Dinamo Zagreb which could see a heavily rotated squad.
With Arsenal coming to Stamford Bridge next weekend, players need to be rested and will have a point to prove against their London rivals. A win is vital as otherwise the Blues could begin to lose touch with the top four.
Topics: Chelsea, Graham Potter, Brighton And Hove Albion, Premier League, Football
Sam Collins