Chelsea served up one of the season’s most entertaining games at Stamford Bridge, holding off Brighton and Hove Albion 4-3 in a match that swung back and forth before the hosts held on. The seven-goal contest, played on 30 August, showcased both the promise and the flaws of Xabi Alonso’s rebuilt side.
Chelsea began quickly, with Romeo Lavia scoring inside five minutes and Pedro Neto soon doubling the lead. Brighton, typically bold, refused to sit back and pulled a goal back before the interval.
Cole Palmer was central to Chelsea’s best football, and his finish to make it 4-2 looked to have settled matters, capping a strong afternoon for the England forward.
Brighton had other plans, pressing until deep into stoppage time when Pascal Gross struck to make it 4-3 and set up a tense finale before Chelsea saw it out.
For Alonso, it was a promising if flawed start: plenty of attacking intent, but three goals conceded at home point to defensive work still to do. Brighton, for their part, could take heart from a performance that fell just short.
