Brighton 4-1 Chelsea wins WAB Memorable Moment of 2022-23

Memorable Moment of the 2022-23 season? Or Memorable Moment of the entire Amex Era so far? Brighton 4-1 Chelsea is a day which will never be forgotten by any Albion fan as Graham Potter and co were humiliated on their return to Sussex.

Seven weeks had passed since Potter had slithered off to Stamford Bridge, lured by the prospect of being paid £60 million over a five year contract.

Joining him were Billy Reid, Bjorn Hamberg and Kyle Macaulay; all understandable as they were part of Potter’s coaching team who had followed him from Ostersunds FK to Swansea City and then to the Albion.

Less understandable was Potter pinching Bruno and Ben Roberts, ending their respective 10 year and seven year associations with the club.

Throw in Chelsea signing Marc Cucurella in the summer and the wonderfully timed announcement in the week leading up to their visit to the Amex that Albion head of recruitment Paul Winstanley was also joining and it felt like asset stripping.

Before Brighton 4-1 Chelsea, things had been going pretty swimmingly for Potter. He had won six and drawn three of his first games in charge, talking in public about how managing the Blues was easy with the quality of forwards available. A not-so-subtle dig at Tony Bloom for not signing a new striker, perhaps?

The Albion in contrast were yet to taste victory under Roberto De Zerbi. Five winless games set aN unwanted club record for worst ever start by a new Brighton manager.

But that only told half the story. Performances had been good. There was a sense that it was close to clicking and when it did, the Seagulls were going to give somebody a hammering. With perfect timing, that somebody was Chelsea.

It was fairly obvious from the moment the teams walked onto the pitch that this was going to be an afternoon unlike any other.

The atmosphere was raucous from the first whistle, disproving the myth that the Amex is a poorly designed stadium for creating noise. All it needs is a greedy ex-manager in the away dugout.

Cucurella’s every touch was booed. Potter was jeered relentlessly. Inflatable snakes were waved around. Chelsea visibly wilted under the hostility whilst Brighton channelled the energy to run riot.

Leandro Trossard and own goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Trevoh Chalobah had Brighton 3-0 ahead before half time. The sound of “Potter, Potter what’s the score?” and most gloriously “You’re getting sacked in the morning” ringing around the Amex was deafening.

Potter looked dumbfounded by it all, watching on helplessly like a Geography supply teacher who has lost control of the class.

Although Chelsea pulled one back shortly after half time through Kai Havertz, there was never any danger of them launching a full-on comeback. Gross rounded off the scoring in stoppage time.

The scoreline of Brighton 4-1 Chelsea was obviously fantastic. But there were other parts of the afternoon which feed into its deserved winning of Memorable Moment of the Season.

Cucurella getting substituted and having to walk past the East, North and West Stands with booing from all sides on his way back to the dugout was spectacular.

So too Potter’s post-game interview, in which he said he did not have to apologise for anything and that he had done a good job at Brighton.

For a bloke with a degree in emotional intelligence, he was not showing much emotional intelligence. Acting like an upset child, actually.

Then there was the irony that Brighton 4-1 Chelsea was the first time De Zerbi had ditched Potter’s back three formation in favour of his own 4-2-3-1 with Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma as inverted wingers.

It was a team selection that said Brighton were moving from the Potter Era. 90 minutes later and we knew the destination under De Zerbi would be bigger and better things.

But the best part of Brighton 4-1 Chelsea was the chain of events it sparked at both clubs over the remainder of the 2022-23 season.

Potter never recovered from the embarrassment and with his unbeaten start as Blues boss ended, he won just four of his next 16 Premier League games in charge. Todd Boehly responded by firing Potter just seven months into that five year deal.

Brighton meanwhile went from strength to strength. De Zerbi turned the Albion into a free scoring, entertaining side who finished sixth in the table to secure European football for the first time.

The day a top seven finish was confirmed when Brighton beat Southampton 3-1 was voted into second spot in Memorable Moment of the Season.

It proved the culmination of an incredible 25 year journey, from 91st in the Football League to Europe through three home grounds and plenty of blood, sweat and tears from the fans who saved their club and the likes of Tony Bloom and Dick Knight.

The history-making Brighton squad of 2022-23 were rightly lauded after the final whistle when partaking in a lap of honour around the Amex.

That proved to be just the start of the celebrations with the players and management heading into town afterwards, leading to a video appearing on Twitter of De Zerbi dancing on a bar. Reason number 726 as to why he is the greatest manager in the world.

Securing European football finished runner up in Memorable Moment of the Season by just two percent of the vote ahead of the last minute penalty Alexis Mac Allister scored to beat Manchester United at the Amex.

You could not have written a better script than Brighton beat United via a 98th minute spot kick. Not only was it just 11 days after penalty heartbreak at Wembley in the FA Cup semi final against the Red Devils, but it also served as long-awaited revenge for when United won 3-2 at the Amex from a spot kick awarded after the final whistle had blown in 2020.

WeAreBrighton.com Memorable Moment of the Season 2022-23 – The Results

• Brighton 4-1 Chelsea – 44.68%
• Brighton secure European football v Southampton – 24.44%
• Mac Allister last minute penalty v Manchester United – 22.44%
• Mac Allister wins the World Cup – 2.3%
• FA Cup semi final – 2.8%
• Self serve beer machines appear at the Amex – 2.3%

Previous Winners: Chelsea home (2022), Manchester City home (2021), Arsenal home (2020), Doing the double over Palace (2019), Manchester United home (2018), Wigan Athletic home (2017) Sheffield Wednesday home playoffs (2016) Fulham away (2015), Forest away (2014), Palace home (2013), Doncaster home (2012), Charlton away (2011), Southampton away (2010).