Chelsea survived a dramatic seven-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, beating Brighton 4-3 to maintain Xabi Alonso’s perfect start as manager.
Alonso has now guided Chelsea to three successive victories since taking charge, with the Blues scoring nine goals across their opening three matches.
Romeo Lavia opened the scoring in the 14th minute with his first Chelsea goal since joining from Southampton in 2023, before Pedro Neto doubled the hosts’ advantage.
Joao Pedro then added a third against his former club, putting Chelsea firmly in control before Brighton responded through Malick Yalcouye, who fired a fierce volley into the net in the 35th minute after Emiliano Martinez had made an initial save.
Brighton continued to threaten after the break and reduced the deficit further in the 63rd minute when Pascal Gross’ effort took a heavy deflection off Pedro and looped over the wrong-footed Martinez.
With Chelsea beginning to wobble, Cole Palmer restored the Blues’ two-goal cushion in the 74th minute with a fine finish from the edge of the penalty area.
Gross scored again with a looping header in stoppage time, but Brighton could not find a late equaliser as Chelsea held on for all three points.
The victory extended Alonso’s perfect start and highlighted the immediate improvement in Chelsea’s attack, with the team scoring nine goals in three matches. However, defensive concerns remain after the Blues conceded four goals during the run.
Martinez also made his Chelsea debut after completing his £7.5 million move from Aston Villa just hours before kick-off. The 33-year-old was brought in to replace Robert Sanchez, who had faced criticism following his error-prone display in Chelsea’s 3-2 victory over Fulham.
Chelsea’s next assignment will be a trip to face Premier League champions Arsenal on September 6. The encounter will provide Alonso with his first major test as he attempts to revive a Chelsea side that finished a disappointing 10th in the Premier League last season.
The availability of Enzo Fernandez for the Arsenal clash remains uncertain, with the Argentina midfielder missing his second successive game amid reports linking him with a move to Manchester City.
