Chelsea's season continued to peter out on Saturday, and not even the most expensive substitution in history could rescue a result for Frank Lampard's team.
Lampard returned to Stamford Bridge in early April, taking caretaker charge after Graham Potter's sacking. Potter struggled to get the best out of a star-studded squad, and the same has been true of his successor, who lost 1-0 to Wolves and 2-0 to Real Madrid in his first two games.
Conor Gallagher's opener looked to have set up an improved showing during Lampard's first home game back, only for Brighton to come from behind to snatch victory through goals from Danny Welbeck and Julio Enciso. In the end, not even an eye-catching quadruple change could rescue the Blues.
With Chelsea level just before the hour mark, Lampard decided to ring the changes. On came Hakim Ziyech, Mateo Kovacic, Reece James and Joao Felix, but it was the identity of those making way which really stood out.
Summer signings Enzo Fernandez, Wesley Fofana and Raheem Sterling all left the field at the same time, along with £57m man Christian Pulisic. The combined value of £281.5m makes this the most expensive substitution in world history, according to The Price of Football.
Club record signing Fernandez joined the Blues in January, during a busy window which also saw the likes of Mykhaylo Mudryk and Benoit Badiashile move to West London. Since Todd Boehly took over as Chelsea owner, they have spent more than £500m, a sum which puts even other Premier League clubs in the shade.
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The result leaves Chelsea down in 11th, while Brighton are 10 points ahead of the Blues in seventh. Roberto De Zerbi's Seagulls can climb into the European spots if they win their two games in hand, with fifth-place Spurs suffering a stoppage-time defeat at home to Bournemouth.
"[It's] difficult because the scoreline doesn't flatter them, they could have scored more goals," Lampard told Match of the Day. "[Brighton] are a very good team first and foremost, they have been working together for a long time and now with the coach and the ideas and the energy and the connection within the team is so good and that's why they are where they are and we're not that.
"To get to that will take time, but the first things on the ladder are the basics that we got wrong today. And that can't be right for us, we have to address that very quickly, because that's not a Chelsea performance.
"Some of our changes were forced, we needed to spread the minutes. We should have a squad where people are chomping at the bit to make impressions. So we were by no means taking it lightly. This is my first home game on my return so there is no way I would do that. But the result is what it is."
