Chelsea maintained their perfect start under Xabi Alonso with a dramatic 4-3 victory over Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The Blues appeared to be cruising towards a comfortable win after racing into a three-goal lead inside the opening half-hour.
Romeo Lavia opened the scoring before Pedro Neto doubled Chelsea’s advantage, while Joao Pedro added a third to put the hosts firmly in control.
However, Brighton responded strongly and turned the match into a tense contest.
Malick Yalcouye pulled one back with his first goal for the club, beating Emiliano Martinez, who was making his Chelsea debut just hours after completing a reported £7.5m transfer.
Chelsea’s problems deepened when Joao Pedro scored an own goal, bringing Brighton within one goal and putting the hosts under serious pressure.
With momentum shifting towards the visitors, Cole Palmer stepped up once again.
The England international drove through midfield before firing Chelsea’s fourth goal to restore their two-goal cushion and spark wild celebrations on the touchline.
Brighton refused to give up and continued to threaten Chelsea until the final whistle.
Pascal Gross was eventually allowed too much space deep into stoppage time and headed in a late consolation goal.
Despite securing all three points, Chelsea’s defensive performance will raise concerns for Alonso.
Their inability to maintain control after taking a commanding lead exposed weaknesses that could prove costly against stronger opponents.
There was also no place in the squad for Enzo Fernandez, whose future at Stamford Bridge remains uncertain ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was also left out following his mistakes in the victory over Fulham, with Martinez now arriving as a potential replacement.
The victory gives Alonso another encouraging result in the early stages of his Chelsea tenure, although the seven-goal thriller highlighted that the Blues still have plenty to improve defensively.
