Chelsea 3-0 Brighton: Blues hammer Seagulls at Stamford Bridge to keep top four hopes in tact

Chelsea 3-0 Brighton: Blues hammer Seagulls at Stamford Bridge to keep top four hopes in tact
Chelsea put in a five star performance to dispatch Brighton 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and keep their top four hopes alive.Callum Hudson-Odoi, who was making his first Premier League start, neatly crossed in for Olivier Giroud to finish shortly before the break, before Eden Hazard and Ruben Loftus-Cheek dispatched eye-catching second-half strikes.3

Hazard scored and assisted in the match

Hazard’s 14th league goal of the campaign and Loftus-Cheek’s eighth in all competitions pushed Chelsea above Manchester United into fifth place, but one point off Tottenham in third.Chelsea’s hefty win might now convince boss Maurizio Sarri to let homegrown talents Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek loose in the bid for both a top-four league finish and Europa League glory.Sarri has defended Hudson-Odoi making his full England debut before his first Premier League start, with the forward impressing on international duty last month.But even the Italian knew that elusive league start had to come soon for a talent so highly-rated that the Chelsea hierarchy are itching to build their future around.

LIVE ON talkSPORT

talkSPORT is your home of live football! Here's what's coming up on talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2...

• Southampton vs Liverpool (Friday, 8pm)  talkSPORT
• Norwich vs QPR (Saturday, 12:30pm)  talkSPORT 2
• Huddersfield vs Leicester (Saturday, 3pm)  talkSPORT 2
• Manchester City vs Brighton (Saturday, 5:30pm)  talkSPORT
• Coventry vs Bristol Rovers (Sunday, 3pm)  talkSPORT 2
• Watford vs Wolves (Sunday, 4pm)  talkSPORT

Hudson-Odoi wasted precious little time proving his class on the night in an industrious showing that yielded an assist and plenty of glimpses of his huge potential.While Chelsea were lucky to snatch that 2-1 win at Cardiff at the weekend, there was simply no fortune in this clinical victory.Chelsea needed time to break down Brighton’s double-banked defensive set-up and, while at times flailing at fluency, the Blues still bossed the first-half.Hudson-Odoi quickly set about justifying his start, not that he needed to.3

Hudson-Odoi enjoyed a solid first Premier League start

The teenager’s early strike would have definitely troubled Seagulls keeper Mat Ryan but for a deflection over the bar about which Shane Duffy knew precious little.N’Golo Kante saw a penalty shout rightly rejected after going to ground under little pressure from Gaetan Bong, but then Hudson-Odoi grabbed the game by the throat.Hazard’s cute backheel carved the space, and the England starlet whipped an inviting low cross, only for Giroud to see his effort rebuffed.Then the 18-year-old stood up another right-wing ball, this time with captain Cesar Azpilicueta unable to hit the target.Florin Andone fluffed Brighton’s sole chance of the half in a stark reminder to the hosts not to switch off, the Romania forward scuffing wide after Yves Bissouma had skinned Azpilicueta all ends up.3

Loftus-Cheek scored an absolute beauty in the second-half

Hazard blasted over after Giroud forced Duffy into a poor clearing header, in another big chance wasted.But then Hudson-Odoi surfaced again on the right, turning Anthony Knockaert inside out before drilling a low near-post cross that begged to be converted.Giroud duly bundled in, cementing the home side’s dominance.Hudson-Odoi might even have bagged a goal before the break too, only for his excitement to get the better of him. Hazard’s lofted ball into the box evaded Kante and dropped teasingly on the inside right, with Hudson-Odoi racing in at pace – only to end up crumpled in a heap after flashing a boot at fresh air.Chelsea only extended their control after the break, Hazard leaving Lewis Dunk sliding into the distance before whipping home from 18 yards.And then Loftus-Cheek chipped in from the same distance, steadying himself before delivering a sumptuous finish.

---

Manchester City travelled to the brand new Tottenham Hotspur stadium on Tuesday night in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.At this same stage last season, the English champions fell to another domestic rival in Liverpool.

---

WHAT A SIGHT The second test event saw saw Tottenham Legends take on Inter Forever and the Spurs faithful and Ardiles took the opportunity to gush about the club's new home Tottenham's slick new stadium saw its first piece of football last weekend and it wowed all those who attended including talkSPORT's Ian Abrahams, who […]
'Simply the best' - Tottenham fans and former player Ossie

---

Chelsea Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Fulham, London. The club was established in 1905 and plays its home games at Stamford Bridge . Chelsea have won six top-flight titles.
Premier League 2014/2015 » Attendance » Home matches

---

Zac Efron becomes football's latest villain after supporting Tottenham AND Arsenal ZAC EFRON has apparently switched allegiances after the actor was pictured in a Tottenham shirt last night after

---

Newcastle United news: Richard Keys tells Rafa Benitez to

---

Manchester United star Jesse Lingard was compared to Andres Iniesta ; The claim was made by former Red Devils coach Rene Meulensteen Lingard has only broken into the first team picture in recent games
Jesse Lingard is the 'English Iniesta' according to ex

---

Wednesday night's Premier League clash between Manchester United and Arsenal produced four goals, three of which were rather bizarre. scored by Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, in the
People Who Think Alexandre Lacazette's Goal Should Have

---

Unai Emery relaxed on Arsenal's top four chances despite

---

Joe Gomez is nearing a return after almost four months out due to a leg injury as the Liverpool defender resumed training.. Gomez, 21, needed surgery after suffering a leg fracture during his side
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez returns to first-team training

---

He is the voice of reason, fair and just but will pull no punches when it comes to the dark underbelly of this evil world: things like lawyers, judges, politicians, perverts and Manchester United Football Club. Make yourself a cup of tea and pull up a chair, dear reader, and delve into the world of The Thoughts Of Vicious Sid.
View comments on images - uploadking.biz

---

Everton news and transfers RECAP - Update on Cenk Tosun future, Andre Gomes latest, Silva relishes expectations. All the latest news, transfers, opinion from Goodison Park
Cenk Tosun - Latest breaking news, rumours and gossip from

---

Liverpool. A distraught Liverpool fan was reduced to tears live on talkSPORT after seeing his team miss out on the Premier League title. Liverpool ended their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Wolves, but that wasn't enough to get their hands on their first top flight trophy
Liverpool fan breaks down in tears on talkSPORT after losing

---