Palmer, Nkunku shine as Chelsea eye fifth place finish with narrow 2-1 win against Brighton

Chelsea’s remarkable late-season form continued with a 2-1 win over Brighton, courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku.

Palmer has single-handedly led the Blues from mid-table chaos to the brink of European football.

His 34th-minute header, and 22nd Premier League goal this season, set Chelsea on course in the encounter.

Christopher Nkunku doubled Chelsea’s lead in the 64th minute, scoring his third goal since joining the club.

However, Brighton’s Danny Welbeck scored a consolation goal in injury time, but it was not enough to discredit Chelsea.

Reece James endured a night to forget, receiving a straight red card for a reckless kick-out at Joao Pedro in the 88th minute.

The game also saw several controversial moments, including a reversed penalty decision for Chelsea after a VAR review showed Facundo Buonanotte’s challenge on Marc Cucurella was clean.

Jackson was also denied a goal after making an early run to score from a Benoît Badiashile’s cross.

The West Londoners will have their last game of the season against Bournemouth on Sunday, to guarantee their place for a particular European tournament.