Chelsea claimed a dramatic 4-3 victory over Brighton in the Premier League's third round in the early hours of August 31 (Vietnam time), handing new manager Xabi Alonso a flawless start with three wins across all competitions.
Alonso has guided Chelsea to two straight Premier League wins and a League Cup triumph since taking over. In this match, Romeo Lavia opened the scoring for Chelsea with his first goal since arriving from Southampton in 2023.
Pedro Neto doubled the home side's lead in the 14th minute, before Joao Pedro made it 3-0 in the 32nd minute. However, Brighton pulled one back through Malick Yalcouye in the 35th minute, leaving the first half finely poised at 3-1.
After the break, Pedro's own goal in the 63rd minute created anxious moments for Chelsea. Cole Palmer restored the two-goal cushion in the 74th minute, but Gross's stoppage-time strike made it 4-3—though it wasn't enough to earn Brighton a point.
Notably, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez made his Chelsea debut after completing his £7.5 million ($10 million) move from Aston Villa just hours before kickoff. The 33-year-old is expected to replace Robert Sanchez, who made several costly errors last season.
Joao Pedro told Sky Sports: "Today's match was very special for me. I helped my teammates secure three points. The attacking trio of Morgan Rogers, Pedro Neto, and I understand each other well. Hopefully we can reach a high level by the end of the season."
With this win, Chelsea have scored nine goals in their first three league matches, but the defense has conceded four times, highlighting an area needing improvement. Next up for Chelsea is a trip to champions Arsenal on September 6, widely seen as Alonso's first major test.
Meanwhile, Enzo Fernandez missed a second consecutive match amid transfer speculation linking him to Manchester City, with the Argentine midfielder's future still uncertain before the transfer window closes on Tuesday.
