Summer signing Sjoeke Nusken scored twice as Chelsea came from behind to beat Brighton & Hove Albion

 German international midfielder Nusken nodded Jess Carter's inswinging cross past Sophie Baggaley from close range to break Brighton's resistance on the stroke of half-time, replying after Pauline Bremer's tap-in from a Katie Robinson cross had given the visitors a surprise early lead.

Sam Kerr set up two of Chelsea's goals after the restart, allowing former Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Nusken to curl in as part of a rapid counter-attack and sending in a cross which Brighton defender Guro Bergsvand poked home

Nusken punished defensive slackness to supply the pass for substitute Aggie Beever-Jones to sweep in a late fourth, embellishing Chelsea's 18th successive WSL home victory before Elisabeth Terland scored her fourth Brighton goal of the season in the 90th minute.

Fran Kirby struck the crossbar twice with first-half shots as part of a Chelsea attacking display featuring 30 attempts at goal - the most of any team in a WSL match this season.

Brighton goalkeeper Baggaley responded impressively, making a succession of inspired saves behind a defence who frequently performed last-ditch heroics to prevent their opponents from scoring sooner.

Albion have now lost three successive league matches since their opening-day win at Everton, leaving them three points clear of the foot of the table and four shy of the top half.

Chelsea, who are on an 11-game unbeaten run in the top flight, are next in action when they visit Aston Villa on 4 November, while Brighton host Manchester United the following day.

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With on-loan Belgium goalkeeper Nicky Evrard not involved for Brighton against her parent club, Baggaley proved why she was an astute signing from Manchester United in September-

 making seven saves before the break.

The former back-up to England's Mary Earps saw Kirby's curling sixth-minute effort wobble the woodwork, then denied Kerr from a one-on-one and clawed the ball away with the Australian international poised to pounce on the line.

Kirby hit the crossbar again as part of a quickfire flurry of chances, and Maria Thorisdottir hacked a clearance off the line as Brighton held on until Carter found Nusken unmarked to provide relief for the reigning champions in first-half added time.

Chelsea had 28 attempts on goal and 66 touches inside Brighton's penalty area, with visiting goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley making nine saves

Baggaley initially thwarted Chelsea after the restart, saving from Rytting Kaneryd after the substitute had skipped through and skimmed in a dangerous drive, but Brighton - scorers in all eight of their last WSL away games - retained a threat.

Albion's win at Chelsea in 2021 makes them the only league side to have beaten Emma Hayes' team at home since January 2019, and Bremer twice tested Ann-Katrin Berger, while Niamh Charles alertly diverted a Robinson delivery behind to prevent the hosts from equalising.

Eventually, though, Chelsea's pressure told. Nusken gave them the lead as part of an incisive move to ease any fears that the holders' long winning home run would come to an end and cost them ground on City, who won at Leicester on Saturday to become the leaders after four games.

Nusken will feel a little unlucky not to have had a hat-trick with Bergsvand having being ruled to have had the final touch on Chelsea's third goal, and the 22-year-old unselfishly assisted for Beever-Jones when Brighton surrendered possession through wayward passing at the back.

Second-bottom Villa, who are yet to earn a point this season, and third-bottom Everton now await Chelsea before their wcl begins at Real Madrid on 15 November. On this form, anything less than maximum points from those games would be a shock.