Chelsea F.C. continued their impressive start under new manager Xabi Alonso with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The result marked Alonso’s third consecutive victory since taking charge of Chelsea, following Premier League wins over Fulham and Luton and a League Cup success.
Chelsea once again demonstrated their attacking firepower, scoring four goals in an entertaining contest. Romeo Lavia opened the scoring before Pedro Neto doubled the advantage, while João Pedro added a third against his former club.
Brighton refused to surrender, with Malick Yalcouyé pulling one back before Pascal Gross’ effort took a deflection off João Pedro to make it 3-2.
Cole Palmer eventually restored Chelsea’s two-goal cushion with a composed finish from the edge of the box, although Gross struck again in stoppage time to set up a tense finale.
Despite conceding three goals, Chelsea held on to claim all three points and maintain Alonso’s perfect competitive record.
Attack impresses, defence remains a concern
The victory highlighted two contrasting sides of Alonso’s early Chelsea reign.
The Blues have now scored nine goals in their opening three Premier League matches, suggesting the former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen boss has quickly improved the team’s attacking threat.
However, their defensive vulnerability remains a major concern. Chelsea have conceded four goals in their last two league matches and are still searching for their first Premier League clean sheet since January.
New goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez made his Chelsea debut just hours after completing his reported £7.5 million move from Aston Villa. The 33-year-old replaced Robert Sánchez, who had come under criticism following his performance against Fulham.
Martínez made an early save from Yalcouyé and received a loud reception from the home supporters, but he was beaten three times during a match in which Chelsea’s defence frequently looked uncomfortable.
Arsenal test awaits Alonso
Chelsea’s early winning run will face a much tougher examination next weekend when Alonso takes his side to face reigning Premier League champions Arsenal on September 6.
Having overcome Fulham, Luton and Brighton, the trip to Arsenal is expected to provide a clearer indication of whether Alonso can transform Chelsea into genuine contenders after their disappointing 10th-place finish last season.
With the transfer window closing on Tuesday, attention will also turn to the club’s final transfer decisions, particularly amid uncertainty surrounding Enzo Fernández, who missed his second successive match amid reports linking him with Manchester City.
For now, Alonso can celebrate three wins from three—but Chelsea’s defensive frailties suggest there is still plenty of work to do.
