Chelsea beat Brighton but Alonso still seeks control

Chelsea continued their winning start under Xabi Alonso with a 4-3 home victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, but the result did little to quiet concerns about the side’s lack of control. For all the attacking quality on show at Stamford Bridge, the broader picture remains more complicated.

Bright attacking signs, familiar defensive doubts

There is clear promise in Alonso’s remodelled side, particularly when Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro combine in the final third. Chelsea were sharp early on and at one stage surged into a three-goal lead against a Brighton team weakened by injuries.

Yet the game also underlined why it is too soon to make sweeping claims about Chelsea’s prospects. Brighton rallied strongly after falling behind, and Chelsea were left hanging on for periods of the second half before Palmer helped settle matters late on with a fine finish.

The entertainment value has been obvious in the opening weeks of Alonso’s reign, but so have the risks. Chelsea have now conceded five goals in their first two league matches, a return that points to structural issues Alonso will want to address quickly.

Martínez debuts as Sánchez drops out

One of the most notable pre-match developments was the debut of Emiliano Martínez, who has arrived from Aston Villa for £7.5m. The goalkeeper was given a warm reception before kick-off and produced a composed display, even if he was unable to mark his first appearance with a clean sheet.

His introduction follows a significant decision from Alonso, who left Robert Sánchez out of the squad against his former club. That move came after an unconvincing display from Sánchez against Fulham and appears to signal a change in the pecking order.

Martínez’s handling brought authority, but Brighton still found ways to expose Chelsea’s system. That will concern Alonso more than the final scoreline will please him.

Lavia and Rogers help Chelsea seize control early

Chelsea’s opening goal arrived after Brighton failed to deal with a corner. João Pedro’s initial effort caused problems, and after Bart Verbruggen diverted the ball into a dangerous area, Roméo Lavia reacted to finish low.

It was a significant moment for Lavia, whose recent career has been disrupted by injuries. His ability to start a second successive league game was important for Chelsea, especially with Moisés Caicedo and Reece James only fit enough for the bench and Enzo Fernández unavailable amid uncertainty over a possible move to Manchester City.

Rogers then played a major role in the second goal, continuing his strong start since joining from Aston Villa. After driving away from Luka Vuskovic, he delivered for Pedro Neto to score. Neto, who has been linked with a move away, has been used in a wing-back role by Alonso and offered energy and purpose.

Brighton’s problems and Chelsea’s bigger test

Brighton were missing several players and looked disjointed in the early stages. Fabian Hürzeler’s side were punished for basic errors and struggled to cope with Chelsea’s intensity at first.

• Jack Hinshelwood was unavailable
• Yasin Ayari was unavailable
• Georginio Rutter was unavailable
• Kaoru Mitoma was unavailable
• Yankuba Minteh was unavailable

Even so, Brighton’s response served as a warning to Chelsea. Alonso has added excitement and attacking variety, but a serious challenge over the course of the season will depend on making his team calmer and more secure without the ball.

For now, Chelsea have the points and plenty of attacking encouragement. What they do not yet have is certainty that the chaos can be controlled.