TEHRAN – Brighton winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh started 2020 in style as the Iranian scored a stunning acrobatic bicycle kick against Chelsea on Wednesday at the Amex Stadium.

Jahanbakhsh came off the bench in the 69th minute with his team 1-0 down after Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta’s opener early in the game, but salvaged a point with an acrobatic strike six minutes from time.

There was nothing goalkeeper Kepa could do, however, when Jahanbakhsh connected with his bicycle kick that flew into the left corner in remarkable fashion.

The tears flowed for Jahanbakhsh on 28 December as he finally scored his first goal for the Seagulls, but his goal against Chelsea on New Year's Day was perhaps even more memorable.

The Iranian international winger has struggled since becoming Brighton's club-record signing in summer 2018, but two goals in as many games suggest that the 26-year-old is beginning to find his feet in Prem.

Jahanbakhsh joined from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar for a club record fee of around £17 million in July 2018.

Speaking about his overhead kick, the Iranian said: "It's a decent feeling, I can't describe how happy I am. I've tried to keep my mentality high and when I found out I was going to play, I had a good feeling.

"I had a feeling I could impact the game and when [Lewis Dunk] gave me the ball the only way to hit it was with the bicycle kick and it just went in the right direction.

"It's the best goal of my career so far."