Chelsea produced one of the season’s most entertaining performances at Stamford Bridge, edging Brighton and Hove Albion 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller that showed both the promise and the fragility of Xabi Alonso’s new-look side. The match, played on 30 August, swung one way and then the other before Chelsea held on.
The hosts started fast. Romeo Lavia opened the scoring inside the first five minutes and Pedro Neto quickly doubled the lead, giving Chelsea a two-goal cushion. Brighton refused to fold, though, pulling a goal back as the first half wore on.
Chelsea restored their advantage before the break and continued to look the more dangerous side, with Cole Palmer at the heart of their best play. His finish later in the match made it 4-2 and seemed to settle the contest.
Brighton had other ideas. Known for playing on the front foot, they kept probing and were rewarded deep into stoppage time when Pascal Gross struck to make it 4-3, setting up a nervous finish before Chelsea saw it out.
For Alonso, the result was an encouraging if imperfect start. His side showed attacking intent and the ability to score freely, but also conceded three goals at home, a sign that the defensive side of his rebuild remains a work in progress.
Brighton could take heart even in defeat. To score three times at Stamford Bridge and push the game to the last moments spoke to the attacking quality that has become their hallmark. Both sides left with plenty to work on.
