Temi Kings
Chelsea made it three wins out of three across all competitions under Xabi Alonso after surviving a seven-goal blockbuster to defeat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-3 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The headline pre-match news centered on Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who completed his £7.5 million transfer from Aston Villa earlier in the morning and was thrown straight into the starting XI for a whirlwind Chelsea debut. Protected by a back three of Wesley Fofana, Maxence Lacroix, and captain Levi Colwill, Martínez got his first taste of action in Blue on a dramatic afternoon in West London.
The Blues wasted no time storming into control, opening the scoring after just three minutes when Roméo Lavia seized on a corner mix-up to poke home. Pedro Neto doubled the lead in the 13th minute, and when João Pedro added a third in the 31st minute, Stamford Bridge appeared set for a routine afternoon. However, Brighton fought back doggedly through Malick Yalcouyé in the 34th minute before a second-half own goal from João Pedro brought the Seagulls within striking distance at 3-2.
Step forward Cole Palmer, who delivered a Man of the Match performance to steer Chelsea through the storm. In the 74th minute, Palmer collected the ball on the edge of the area and swept a clinical finish past Bart Verbruggen to restore Chelsea's two-goal cushion. Despite a stoppage-time strike from Pascal Groß making it 4-3 in the 95th minute, Martínez and the Chelsea defense held out through the final seconds to preserve Alonso's flawless start to the 2026/27 campaign.