Jamie Carragher labels incredible moment from Brighton star 'Messi-like' in their 3-0 win over Chelsea

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher likened Kaoru Mitoma to Lionel Messi after Brighton & Hove Albion's 3-0 win over Chelsea on Friday. The Blues were second-best as they returned to Stamford Bridge with their tails between their legs after a Valentine's Day thrashing at the Amex Stadium.

The highlight of the night, though, was Mitoma's goal. He brought an early moment of magic when he scored the opener in the 26th minute.

When Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen sent a long kick upfield, the Japan international followed its trajectory while on the run. He let it touch down perfectly onto his foot before deftly getting past Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah with another touch. The winger then opened space and curled an effort beyond Filip Jorgensen to score a Messi-esque goal.

Reacting to the quality of the goal in the Sky Sports studio, Jamie Carragher said (via Daily Mail):

"The touch is as good as anything you'll see in the Premier League this season. Wow. And the finish isn't bad either. It's Messi-like. And I don't say that lightly... The more I look at it, the more I think it's one of the best goals I've seen."

Mitoma was eventually handed the Man of the Match award, with Carragher arguing that the goal justified the award.

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"Messi-like" Mitoma shines as Chelsea stumble in Brighton defeat, Jamie Carragher slams Blues

Jamie Carragher has slammed Chelsea after Brighton dealt them a heavy blow at the Amex Stadium. The Seagulls knocked the Blues out of the FA Cup with A 2-1 win on February 8. While the London giants were expected to retaliate on Valentine's Day, they ended up with a blow to their top-four ambitions instead.

Jamie Carragher may have been delighted with Kaoru Mitoma's Messi-esque effort, but he was not pleased with Enzo Maresca’s men. The Liverpool legend said on Sky Sports:

"This is a bad, bad night for Maresca and Chelsea. It's been a nothing performance. It's been bad at both ends of the pitch. They don't look like scoring or keeping the opposition out."

After Mitoma’s goal in the 26th minute, Yankuba Minteh doubled the score on the cusp of half-time (36’). He was also at the right place to pounce and complete the rout just after the hour mark (63’).

Chelsea have now gone five games without a win. Although they picked up 34 points from their first 16 games, they have only managed nine in their last nine matches, which might raise questions about manager Enzo Maresca.