Joao Pedro explains Brighton celebration after Chelsea thriller and apologises to Martinez

Joao Pedro said he wanted to celebrate his goal regardless of the opposition after scoring for Chelsea against his former club Brighton & Hove Albion in a dramatic 4-3 Premier League victory at Stamford Bridge.

The Brazilian forward previously played for Brighton before moving to Chelsea. After finding the net against his former side, he celebrated in front of supporters who had watched him play for the club.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Joao Pedro said: “Celebrating in front of Brighton fans, my former team? I just wanted to celebrate regardless of the opposition. I would have celebrated in front of any fans.”

Joao Pedro was also involved at the other end of the contest, scoring an own goal for Brighton & Hove Albion. He said he apologised to Emiliano Martinez after the incident.

“I spoke to Emiliano Martinez about my own goal and said sorry. I was just trying to help,” Joao Pedro added.

The match produced seven goals as Chelsea claimed their second win of the Premier League season. Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto, Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer scored for Chelsea, while Malick Yalcouye, Joao Pedro with an own goal and Pascal Groß found the net for Brighton & Hove Albion.

Chelsea’s victory moved them on to six points and into second place in the Premier League table, behind Manchester City only on goal difference. Brighton & Hove Albion remained on three points in ninth position.

Joao Pedro praised Chelsea’s attacking options after the match and said the team needed to develop greater confidence and unity as the season continued.

“The team’s attack is very strong. We have good players in every position. We need to build confidence and team spirit, and hopefully we can continue winning as we did today,” he said.

Chelsea’s defensive record remains a notable concern despite the positive result. The club have now failed to keep a clean sheet in 18 consecutive Premier League matches, which is the longest such run in their history.

The result was Chelsea’s second league win of the campaign, but the seven-goal contest also highlighted the vulnerability that has prevented them from shutting opponents out. They conceded three times at Stamford Bridge, while their attacking players produced enough to secure all three points.

For Joao Pedro, the evening carried an additional personal dimension because of his previous connection with Brighton & Hove Albion. His comments made clear that his celebration was intended to express his delight at scoring for Chelsea rather than to provoke supporters of his former club.

Chelsea’s six-point total leaves them level with Manchester City after two rounds of Premier League fixtures, with goal difference separating the sides. Brighton & Hove Albion, meanwhile, have three points from their opening two matches.