Chelsea extended Xabi Alonso’s flawless start as manager with an entertaining 4-3 victory against Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The win marks the third consecutive success for the former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen boss, who has now overseen two Premier League victories and one League Cup triumph since taking the helm. While the team has displayed impressive attacking form with nine goals across their opening three matches, defensive vulnerabilities remain a concern, as the side has conceded four times during that stretch.
The hosts wasted no time establishing control, with Romeo Lavia finding the net in the fourth minute to score his first goal for the club since joining from Southampton in 2023. The opportunity arose after Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and defender Mats Wieffer failed to clear a corner, allowing Lavia to capitalize from close range. Pedro Neto, selected by Alonso over Reece James, doubled the lead in the 14th minute by converting a cut-back from Morgan Rogers. Joao Pedro further extended the advantage in the 32nd minute, scoring against his former club before celebrating with a gesture toward the visiting supporters.
Brighton managed to pull one back in the 35th minute when Malick Yalcouye fired in a rebound after an initial save by Emiliano Martinez, who was making his Chelsea debut. The 33-year-old goalkeeper, signed for £7.5 million ($10 million) from Aston Villa just hours before the match, replaced Robert Sanchez following a series of inconsistent performances. Martinez’s arrival makes him the first player aged 30 or older to feature for Chelsea in a league game since 2024, highlighting the club’s recent focus on younger signings.
The visitors narrowed the deficit to 3-2 in the 63rd minute when a shot from Pascal Gross took a significant deflection off Pedro, leaving Martinez unable to recover. However, Cole Palmer restored a two-goal cushion in the 74th minute with a clinical strike from the edge of the penalty area. Although Gross added a second goal for Brighton with a looping header in stoppage time, Chelsea held on to secure the points.
Looking ahead, Alonso faces his most significant challenge yet when his side travels to face reigning Premier League champions Arsenal on September 6. The manager continues to navigate squad uncertainty, as midfielder Enzo Fernandez missed his second straight game amid reports linking him to a potential move to Manchester City. With the transfer window set to close on Tuesday, it remains unclear whether Fernandez will be available for the upcoming clash at the Emirates Stadium.
Having already defeated Fulham and Luton, Alonso is tasked with revitalizing a squad that finished a disappointing 10th last season. While the early results are promising, the manager will likely look to address the defensive lapses that have allowed opponents back into games during this high-scoring start to the campaign. The report also notes that pedro’s own goal after the interval gave Chelsea a few anxious moments before Cole Palmer struck in the closing stages. The report also notes that chelsea took just 31 seconds to score against Fulham and they made another quick-fire start to move in front against Brighton. The report also notes that jorrel Hato picked out Pedro and he finished clinically from six yards before cheekily celebrating with a thumbs down gesture in front of the Brighton fans who had been jeering him.
