Football news - Alireza Jahanbakhsh wonder goal gives Brighton precious draw against Chelsea

Brighton and Chelsea contested a hard-fought draw in one of the Premier League’s lunchtime, New Year’s Day kick-offs, where the hosts salvaged a point with a stunning late strike from Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

Chelsea took a deserved lead after ten minutes when captain Cesar Azpilicueta tapped home from close range after a Tammy Abraham shot was cleared off the line. They had several chances to increase their lead before Jahanbakhsh connected perfectly with a spectacular overhead kick to level the scores with six minutes to go.

The visitors will rue their inability to take three points. Frank Lampard’s side remain in fourth place but have missed the chance to close the gap on Manchester City, while opening up a chance for their rivals for the Champions League places to make up ground on them later today.

Brighton move up one place to 13th and are only below Arsenal in the table on goals scored. The draw keeps up the momentum for Graham Potter’s team after their victory over Bournemouth four days ago.

Have we just seen the goal of the season? Many thought that Son Heung-min’s high-octane charge through the Burnley defence 25 days ago had closed the book on the Goal of the Season competition, but Jahanbakhsh’s strike will be a worthy contender for the prize. It took him 18 months to score his first goal for Brighton, and he now has two in two matches; the latter strike is certainly the first great goal of the new decade.

Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea): Chelsea’s centre-back turned in an impressive performance today, rendering Maupay virtually anonymous and then keeping the lively Connolly under wraps in the second half. Only one stunning moment of improvisation denied Chelsea a clean sheet that his performance would have deserved.

Brighton(4-5-1): Ryan 6; Montoya 5, Dunk 6, Webster 7, Burn 6; Propper 6, Mooy 7, Bissouma 6, Alzate 7, Trossard 7; Maupay 6. Subs: Bernardo 6, Jahanbakhsh 7, Connolly 7

Chelsea (4-3-3): Kepa 7; James 6, Rudiger 8, Zouma 7, Azplicueta 6; Kante 7, Jorginho 6, Mount 6; Willian 6, Abraham 6, Pulisic 6. Subs: Kovacic 5, Hudson-Odoi 6

10’ GOAL! Brighton 0 Chelsea 1 (Azpilicueta 10) So simple, and Chelsea are ahead! The corner finds Zouma at the back post, and he heads it back across to Abraham, who shoots first time from six yards out. Mooy stabs it off the line but only to Azpilicueta, who simply taps the rebound into an open net from two yards out.

28’ CHANCE! Abraham dispossesses Brighton again, and charges direct at goal. Brighton back off, Willian races into clear space on the right but Abraham goes it alone, and his shot is deflected just over the bar. That could and perhaps should have been Chelsea's second.

43’ GOOD SAVE! Brighton break down the left and get into the Chelsea area. The ball is pulled back to Trossard, who hits it first time from the edge of the area. It's a bit too close to Kepa though, who palms the ball away to safety.

55’ CHANCE! Pulisc uses the overlapping Azpilicueta to create space for himself on the edge of the Brighton area. He cuts across Mooy but drags his near post shot miserably wide just as the chance had opened up for him.

80’ BIG CHANCE! The low cross somehow goes through a mesh of bodies to find Connolly near the six yard box. He tees up a volley and bobbles a shot towards the bottom corner, which Kepa pushes wide at full stretch.

84’ GOAL! Brighton 1 (Jahanbakhsh 84) Chelsea 1 Oh what a stunner from Jahanbakhsh! The corner is fired to Dunk at the back post. He heads it back across goal, where Jahanbaksh throws himself into an overhead kick and locates the bottom right corner of the net with Kepa flat-footed. What a goal!

89’ GREAT SAVE! From a low cross from the right Maupay drills a low shot at goal from ten yards out. Kepa throws out a foot to make a wonderful reflex save