Chelsea led by two goals before half-time, due to a penalty from Guro Reiten in the 12th minute and a goal from Jess Carter nine minutes later, following a spell of ruthlessness from the champions.
Brighton and Hove Albion had initiated little after not producing a shot on target in the first half and will be disappointed with the penalty call, as Sam Kerr was offside when she received the ball before being fouled by Zoe Morse.
The Seagulls managed to get one goal back late into the second half thanks to Danielle Carter, but it was too late as The Blues had already extended their lead thanks to unselfish teamwork from Kerr, to give Johanna Kaneryd her first goal for her club.
Story of the Match
Emma Hayes made seven changes to her side who were recently beaten by Arsenal in the Conti Cup final and saw a positive response from her side from the start.
Chelsea went all guns blazing – they opened the scoring early after Zoe Morse dove in on Sam Kerr in the Brighton area.
Guro Reiten kept her composure from the spot and fired the Blues into the lead.
The penalty shout appeared to feature Kerr offside, but the linesman did not notice – many would consider that Brighton were hard done by.
Chelsea managed seven shots within twenty minutes and kept 75% possession of the ball. The home side had been relentless in the first twenty minutes - Brighton failed to deal with Guro Reiten's low corner.
Jess Carter was the first to respond within the penalty area, manipulating her body to turn and blast her shot into the back of the net from the set piece.
Carter's goal gives her squad 20 first-half goals in 14 games this season, more than any other team in the Women's Super League.
Second half
The hosts' flawless performance almost came to an end after a close way back into the game from the visitors.
The ball bounced perfectly for Elisabeth Terland, who tried her luck and caught it nicely from the right side of the penalty area.
The Chelsea keeper Zecira Musovic was stunned to the floor as she watched the shot deflect off of the crossbar.
Brighton started the second half well, but Sam Kerr found herself free 10 yards out, and when she side-footed an effort towards goal, Lydia Williams kept her team in the game and did brilliantly to get her knees to it and send the chance over the top.
However, The Seagulls’ bright start came crumbling down. Kerr found herself put through on goal yet again and unselfishly set up Johanna Kaneryd extending Chelsea’s lead to three in the 72nd minute.
Kaneryd was in a perfect position and did well to maintain her work ethic throughout the game and earned her first goal for the club.
Sam Kerr's assist was her fourth in the WSL this season, but it was her final involvement of the day, with Niamh Charles replacing her, allowing the star striker proper rest for their clash with Manchester United on Sunday.
Chelsea did not eliminate the danger when substitute Veatriki Sarri injected some pace into the visiting side, helping the Seagulls bring one back.
Danielle Carter responded quickly and ultimately broke the clean sheet, after she poked a finish past Zecira Musovic – making this her sixth goal against the West London side.
The late consolidation goal was all Brighton could muster against a strong Chelsea side. The Blues are adamant about chasing top side Manchester United and their clash on Sunday can make all the difference.
The Seagulls remain 11th in the WSL table, two points above bottom-side Leicester City and look to gain some points as they host Manchester City on the weekend. They are still the only side to not keep a clean sheet in the WSL.
Player of the Match – Johanna Kaneryd
The Swede started her first match for Chelsea since December, as Hayes looked to shake up the starting eleven.
Her hard work paid off after scoring a brace for her side, impressing in front of the home fans.
