Maurizio Sarri eventually turned to his Chelsea kids – and they ripped Brighton apart to boost his team’s chances of a top four place.

Callum Hudson-Odoi produced a sparkling performance to help set to a crucial first goal, and his fellow England man Ruben Loftus Cheek provided a brilliant third strike to seal the points.

A ruthless Sarri had made seven changes from the team that played so poorly at Cardiff on Sunday. Hudson-Odoi made his long awaited first Premier League start – and his name got a huge cheer at the start.

Before the match, Hudson-Odoi disclosed, the manager told him to go and express himself, reports the Express.

His words: “I am very happy for the win. We all worked hard. The manager told me to go and express myself. I feel comfortable, hopefully I did well.”

Loftus-Cheek added : “We have both worked all of our lives for this chance. Years of hard work – and now we start in a Premier League game together. That’s good for the academy.”

Brighton were totally outgunned, and Chris Hughton’s team were left still looking over their shoulders nervously at that vacant third relegation spot as both Huddersfield and Fulham have been relegated.

The Chelsea manager said: “Callum is happy, but I told him that he missed a very easy goal in the first half. He has to stay with his feet on the floor.

“I hope these players can be our future. They are, at the moment, very important player. But the potential is higher. In the future, they can become top players. The future could be good.”

“I was sure they would do well. Callum is now ready to play in every match, also in the most difficult matches. He has improved a lot.”

As Brighton packed their defence, it was the youngster who had Chelsea’s first chance as he saw his shot deflected over the bar.