Chelsea maintained their perfect start under Xabi Alonso with an entertaining 4-3 victory over Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The win marked Alonso’s third consecutive victory since taking charge of the Blues, following two Premier League wins and a League Cup triumph.
Romeo Lavia opened the scoring in the fourth minute with his first goal for Chelsea since joining the club from Southampton in 2023.
Pedro Neto doubled the advantage in the 14th minute before João Pedro added a third against his former club in the 32nd minute.
Brighton pulled one back before half-time through Malick Yalcouye, who fired a fierce volley into the net after Emiliano Martinez had initially denied him.
Chelsea’s defence continued to look vulnerable after the interval, with Pedro Neto turning Pascal Gross’ effort into his own net in the 63rd minute to give Brighton renewed hope.
Cole Palmer restored Chelsea’s two-goal advantage in the 74th minute with a composed finish from the edge of the penalty area.
Gross scored again in stoppage time with a looping header, but Chelsea held on to secure all three points.
Chelsea’s next challenge will be a trip to face Premier League champions Arsenal on September 6.
After victories over Fulham, Luton and Brighton, the Arsenal clash will provide Alonso with his first major test as he attempts to revive a Chelsea side that finished a disappointing 10th last season.
The Spaniard has already transformed Chelsea’s attacking output, with the club scoring nine goals in their opening three matches. However, their defensive frailties remain a concern after conceding four goals.
With the transfer window set to close on Tuesday, it remains unclear whether Enzo Fernández will be available for the Arsenal clash.
The Argentina midfielder missed his second consecutive match amid reports linking him with a move to Manchester City.
Martínez Makes Chelsea Debut
Emiliano Martínez made his Chelsea debut just hours after completing a £7.5m ($10m) move from Aston Villa.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper was signed to replace Robert Sánchez following another poor performance in Chelsea’s 3-2 victory over Fulham on Monday.
Martínez’s arrival also ended Chelsea’s recent reliance on younger players, as he became the first player aged 30 or above to feature for the club in a Premier League match since 2024.
Fast Start
Chelsea needed just 31 seconds to score against Fulham and again made a rapid start against Brighton.
The hosts took the lead after Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and defender Mats Wieffer failed to clear a fourth-minute corner, allowing Lavia to react quickest and poke the ball home from close range.
Alonso had opted to start Neto ahead of Reece James, and the Portugal winger rewarded his manager’s decision in the 14th minute.
Morgan Rogers burst into the Brighton penalty area before cutting the ball back for Neto, who produced a deft close-range finish for his first league goal since December.
Martínez then made his first save for Chelsea, stopping Yalcouye’s effort and drawing loud cheers from the home supporters.
João Pedro increased Chelsea’s lead in the 32nd minute after being picked out by Jorrel Hato. The Brazilian finished from six yards and celebrated with a thumbs-down gesture towards the Brighton supporters who had been jeering him.
Chelsea’s hopes of keeping their first Premier League clean sheet since January disappeared three minutes later when Yalcouye fired a powerful volley past Martínez after his initial effort had rebounded to him.
Brighton reduced the deficit further in the 63rd minute when Gross’ effort from a tight angle deflected heavily off Neto and looped over the wrong-footed Martínez.
Palmer restored Chelsea’s two-goal cushion 11 minutes later with a fine finish from the edge of the box.
Gross added another in stoppage time, but Chelsea survived the late pressure to claim a thrilling victory and preserve Alonso’s perfect start.
