Chelsea 1 – 1 Brighton score late equaliser at Chelsea
Chelsea looked set to move three points clear of fellow title contenders Liverpool when Romelu Lukaku marked his first top-flight start for two months by giving his side a lead, which they held until the 91st minute.
Brighton carved out 18 chances in total at Stamford Bridge but looked set for disappointment before Welbeck met Marc Cucurella's chipped cross.
On a stormy night for Chelsea, they also injured defenders Reece James and Andreas Christensen.
They head into 2022 second in the table - one point above third-placed Liverpool, who they face on Sunday at Stamford Bridge (16:30 GMT).
But they trail Manchester City by eight points after Pep Guardiola's side won 1-0 at Brentford.
Thomas Tuchel 'very disappointed' with 'struggling' Chelsea
On what felt like a pivotal night in the title race, Chelsea closed 2021 - a year to remember thanks to their Champions League triumph - on a disappointing note.
The mood was upbeat when Lukaku scored for the second successive game.
After coming off the bench to inspire the Blues to victory at Aston Villa on Sunday, he marked his first league start since 16 October with a dynamic performance capped by his first-half header.
Yet Chelsea could not hold out for victory and have now dropped 11 points from their last eight league games, with three draws in their previous four matches.
Another concern for Tuchel will be the mounting injuries, with England defender James, who limped off in the first half, and Denmark defender Christensen, who did not appear for the second half, joining the list of casualties.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (ankle) and Thiago Silva (hamstring) missed this game with Ben Chilwell, who is to undergo surgery. In addition, Timo Werner has not played since 11 December after testing positive for coronavirus, while N'Golo Kante came off the bench despite suffering a knee injury against Villa.
With Chelsea facing six matches in the Premier League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup in January, they can ill afford any more absences among key players.
While the sight of Lukaku celebrating in front of Chelsea fans was pleasing for Tuchel, the German could now be forced to turn to the transfer window to ensure his side stays in the hunt for trophies.
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