Chelsea edge Brighton 4-3 to maintain perfect start under Alonso

Chelsea maintained their perfect start under Xabi Alonso with a thrilling 4-3 Premier League victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The result gives Chelsea two wins from their opening two matches of the season, although their attacking success has been matched by defensive uncertainty. They have scored seven goals and conceded five across those victories.

Chelsea established a commanding lead inside the opening 32 minutes. Romeo Lavia opened the scoring before Pedro Neto added a second, and Joao Pedro then put the hosts 3-0 ahead.

Brighton responded before half-time, with Malick Yalcouye reducing the deficit. The visitors were handed further encouragement when Joao Pedro scored an own goal, leaving Chelsea with only a single-goal advantage despite their dominant start.

The pressure on the home side eased when Cole Palmer produced a clinical finish to restore Chelsea’s two-goal cushion. Brighton refused to concede defeat, however, and Pascal Groß headed their third goal deep into stoppage time.

That late effort ensured a tense finish at Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea held on to secure their second victory of the campaign. The entertaining contest continued the early pattern of high-scoring matches under Alonso, with Chelsea again showing considerable threat in attack while allowing their opponents opportunities to fight back.

Brighton’s late response was not enough to earn them a point, but the visitors’ recovery transformed a match that had appeared to be settled when Chelsea moved three goals clear. Chelsea’s ability to withstand the final stages allowed them to preserve their 100% record.

Elsewhere, Brentford were denied a second successive win after being held by Leeds United. Brentford appeared on course to join Chelsea on six points when Kevin Schade gave them the lead with an impressive finish.

Leeds responded after the interval, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring an equaliser to leave the two sides sharing the points. Brentford therefore missed the opportunity to move level with Chelsea at the top of the early standings.

Sunderland claimed their first points of the season with a 1-0 home victory over Fulham. Wilson Isidor scored the only goal of the match, giving Sunderland a narrow win and their first success of the campaign.

Manchester United were due to begin their attempt to get off the mark later on Sunday, when they hosted Ipswich Town. They entered that fixture still waiting for their first points of the season.