Alonso has presided over two wins in the Premier League and one in the League Cup since taking charge of the Blues.
Free-scoring Chelsea have extended Xabi Alonso’s perfect start as manager with an eye-catching 4-3 win against Brighton.
Alonso has presided over two successive wins in the Premier League and one in the League Cup since taking charge of the Blues.
Romeo Lavia opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge on Sunday with his first Chelsea goal since signing from Southampton in 2023.
Pedro Neto doubled the Blues’ lead, and Joao Pedro added the third before Brighton’s Malick Yalcouye got one back late in a frenzied first half.
Pedro’s own goal after the interval gave Chelsea a few anxious moments before Cole Palmer struck in the closing stages.
Pascal Gross netted in stoppage-time, but it was too late to derail Chelsea.
Next up for Alonso’s team is a trip to face Premier League champions Arsenal on September 6.
Having dispatched Fulham, Luton and Brighton, it will be the first major test for the former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen boss as he tries to revitalise a club that finished a dismal 10th last season.
Alonso has already breathed new life into Chelsea’s attack with nine goals in their first three games, but questions remain about a creaky defence, which has been breached four times.
With the transfer window closing on Tuesday, it remains to be seen if Enzo Fernandez will be an option for Alonso when Chelsea meet Arsenal.
Fernandez was absent for a second successive game after the Argentina midfielder was linked with a move to Manchester City.
Emiliano Martinez made his Chelsea debut after completing his 7.5-million-pound ($10m) move from Villa just hours earlier.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper was signed to replace the error-prone Robert Sanchez after his latest dismal display in Monday’s 3-2 win at Fulham.
Underlining Chelsea’s recent obsession with signing youngsters, Martinez was the first player 30 or over to feature for them in a league game since 2024.
