Emiliano Martinez makes Chelsea debut in Brighton thriller as Blues target Premier League title

Emiliano Martinez said he joined Chelsea to help them challenge for the Premier League title after making his debut in a dramatic 4-3 victory over Brighton at Stamford Bridge.

The Argentina international goalkeeper completed his move from Aston Villa on Sunday morning and was immediately selected to face Brighton, having trained with his new team-mates for only one day.

Chelsea secured their first win of the season in an entertaining second-round Premier League match, although Martinez stressed that the team must improve defensively and reduce the number of goals they concede.

“I spoke with Chelsea legends John Terry and Petr Cech. I know how big this club is and what we want to achieve this season, and I came here to help,” Martinez told Sky Sports.

“I had seven great years at Aston Villa, but I came here to compete and try to win the Premier League.”

The goalkeeper said he had received a warm welcome after arriving at Chelsea and was aware of the attacking quality available to the side.

“I trained with the team for only one day. The players treated me really well over the past two days. I know the ability we have in the forward line, and I am trying to add solidity to the defence,” he said.

Chelsea had to withstand a high-scoring contest against Brighton, with Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto, Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer scoring for the home side.

Brighton’s goals came from Malick Yalcouye, an own goal by Joao Pedro and Pascal Groß.

The result lifted Chelsea to six points from their opening two matches and left them second in the Premier League table, behind Manchester City on goal difference. Brighton remain on three points in ninth place.

Martinez acknowledged the performance was not flawless but said the priority was to collect the points and build from there.

“A win is still a win. I know it was not a perfect match, but in the end we need to win and move forward. We have 36 matches left, and we have to approach the season one game at a time,” he said.

He also identified Chelsea’s defensive record as an area requiring urgent attention.

“In the back line, we need to reduce the number of goals we concede,” Martinez added.

Chelsea have now failed to keep a clean sheet in 18 consecutive Premier League matches, the longest such run in the club’s history.

Joao Pedro’s involvement in the match was particularly notable. He contributed to two goals for Chelsea, scoring one and creating another, while also scoring an own goal in the Brighton match.

Since the beginning of 2026, no striker has been involved in more Premier League goals than Joao Pedro, who has 15 goal contributions.