If only Chelsea had played the entire season like they did in May, they wouldn’t be fighting to sneak into Europe tonight, in the penultimate 37th round. Instead, they would undoubtedly be a full-fledged candidate for the Champions League. Whether it took the youngsters from Stamford Bridge eight months to start stringing together triumphs consistently and round after round confirm their enormous potential, whether Mauricio Pochettino only “adjusted” the team at the end of the season, or whether the lack of expectations influenced the team to relax and ease the pressure… Whatever the case may be, it seems that Chelsea will be playing on the international stage next season.The Blues visited Brighton and won 2-1 thanks to goals from Cole Palmer, substitute Christopher Nkunku, and an incomprehensible decision by referee Salisbury not to award a penalty to the home team early in the second half when Chelsea led 1-0. The London club escaped after a challenge by Malo Gusta only for Nkunku to increase the lead twenty minutes later. The Frenchman traditionally celebrated the goal by blowing up a balloon, which suggested that Chelsea would finish the season in sixth place.Despite their fourth consecutive victory, the entire season of Pochettino’s team is still marked by Cole Palmer. The England international opened the scoring against Brighton in the 34th minute, scoring his 22nd Premier League goal and the ninth time this season that he’s scored Chelsea’s opening goal. In all competitions, including two goals for City at the start of the season, Palmer has reached 27 goals and 14 assists, while in the Premier League, he has 22 goals and ten assists. Among the top five European leagues, only Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé have more impressive numbers! Brighton managed to stir things up on the pitch in the 88th minute when Reece James received a straight red card. Ten minutes later, in the eighth minute of stoppage time, Đorđe Petrović had to pick the ball out of the net as Danny Welbeck scored from the penalty spot, but there was little time left for the hosts to avoid defeat.PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 34Delayed matchesTuesdayTottenham – Man.City 0-2 (0-0)/Haaland 51, 90+1/WednesdayBrighton – Chelsea 1-2 (0-1)/Welbeck 90+7 – Palmer 34,Nkunku 64/Man.Utd.- Newcastle 3-2 (1-0)/Mainoo 31, Diallo 57, Hojlund 84 – Gordon 49, Hall 90+2/
