Brighton come from behind to knock Chelsea out of FA Cup

Kaoru Mitoma struck a second-half winner as Brighton overcame a calamitous own goal from Bart Verbruggen to book a place in the FA Cup fifth round with a 2-1 win over Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s Blues were gifted a fifth-minute lead at the Amex Stadium when Seagulls goalkeeper Verbruggen inexplicably spilled Cole Palmer’s tame effort into the net.

Georginio Rutter quickly headed Albion level before a fine finish from Mitoma, who was subject of a failed bid from Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr during the transfer window, settled the all Premier League tie with 57 minutes played.

Eight-time cup winners Chelsea created little in response as 1983 runners-up Brighton bounced back from last weekend’s 7-0 drubbing at Nottingham Forest to progress with a deserved victory.

The west London club have an immediate chance to avenge their fourth-round exit when they return to Sussex in the Premier League on Friday evening.

Former Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo captained a Chelsea team showing six changes from Monday’s 2-1 top-flight success over West Ham, which included a recall for ex-Seagulls goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

Boos greeted early touches for Sanchez, Caicedo and fellow former Albion player Marc Cucurella before the home support were stunned into silence by Verbruggen’s nightmare mistake.

Following a short Chelsea corner from the left, Jadon Sancho delivered a diagonal pass back to set-piece taker Palmer and his bobbling, side-footed volley across goal was helped home by the blundering Netherlands international keeper.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler had made only one alteration to his starting XI on the back of the humiliation at the City Ground, replacing Joao Pedro with Carlos Baleba.

Without a home win since early November, his