Chelsea secured a 2-1 victory against Brighton on Wednesday, climbing to sixth place in the Premier League with one game remaining.

Cole Palmer opened the scoring with his 22nd league goal of the season, heading the ball into the net in the 34th minute.

Christopher Nkunku extended Chelsea’s lead with a strike in the 64th minute. However, the Blues faced a setback when defender Reece James was sent off for kicking Brighton’s Joao Pedro.

In stoppage time, Danny Welbeck managed to reduce Brighton’s deficit, but Chelsea held firm to secure their fourth consecutive league win, a feat not achieved since October 2022.

Chelsea’s win, coupled with Newcastle’s 3-2 defeat at Manchester United, allowed them to leapfrog the Magpies in the standings.

Chelsea is now poised to secure a place in next season’s Europa League. They need to avoid defeat against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, or rely on Newcastle failing to win at Brentford.

There is also a chance for Chelsea to finish fifth if they beat Bournemouth and Tottenham loses to Sheffield United.

This turnaround is a significant achievement for manager Mauricio Pochettino, who has faced criticism during his challenging first season in charge.