Chelsea continued their winning streak under Xabi Alonso with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Brighton on Sunday.
Since taking over as manager, Alonso has now led the team to two wins in the Premier League and one in the League Cup.
Romeo Lavia kicked things off at Stamford Bridge with his first goal for Chelsea after moving from Southampton in 2023.
Pedro Neto added the second goal, and Joao Pedro made it three before Brighton's Malick Yalcouye scored just before half-time.
Pedro's own goal in the second half made things tense for Chelsea, but Cole Palmer scored late to secure the win.
Pascal Gross scored in stoppage time, but it was too late to change the outcome for Chelsea.
Next, Alonso's team will face Premier League champions Arsenal on September 6.
After winning against Fulham, Luton, and Brighton, this will be Alonso's biggest challenge yet as he looks to uplift a Chelsea team that ended last season in a disappointing 10th place.
Alonso has already sparked Chelsea's attack, with nine goals in three matches, but the defense has been shaky, letting in four goals.
With the transfer window closing on Tuesday, it remains unclear if Enzo Fernandez will be available for the Arsenal match.
Fernandez missed his second game in a row amid rumors linking him to Manchester City.
Emiliano Martinez made his debut for Chelsea after joining for £7.5 million ($10 million) from Aston Villa just hours before the match.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper was brought in to replace Robert Sanchez, who has struggled with his performance in recent games.
Martinez became the first player aged 30 or over to play for Chelsea in a league match since 2024, highlighting the club’s focus on younger talent.
Chelsea scored within 31 seconds against Fulham and started quickly again against Brighton.
Brighton’s goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and defender Mats Wieffer had a mishap while clearing a corner in the fourth minute, allowing Lavia to score from close range.
Alonso chose Neto to start over Reece James, and Neto rewarded his coach’s trust with a goal in the 14th minute.
Morgan Rogers dashed past Luka Vuskovic into the Brighton box and set up Neto, who finished well for his first league goal since December.
Martinez made his first big save, stopping Yalcouye’s shot, which drew cheers from Chelsea fans who were glad to see Sanchez replaced.
Pedro scored against his former team in the 32nd minute.
Jorrel Hato found Pedro, and he finished expertly from six yards, even teasing the Brighton fans who had mocked him.
Chelsea's hopes for a first league clean sheet since January were dashed in the 35th minute when Yalcouye's powerful volley hit the post after Martinez's initial save.
Brighton narrowed the gap in the 63rd minute as Chelsea began to falter.
Gross’s shot from a tight angle took a big deflection off Pedro, looping over a wrong-footed Martinez.
Palmer calmed Alonso’s nerves in the 74th minute with a fine strike from the edge of the box.
Gross scored again with a header in stoppage time, but Chelsea held on for the win in this high-scoring match.
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