Chelsea 4-3 Brighton: Palmer Seals Seven-Goal Thriller as Alonso Starts Perfectly

Chelsea continued their perfect start to the 2026/27 Premier League season with a dramatic 4-3 victory over Brighton at Stamford Bridge, securing a second consecutive league win under new manager Xabi Alonso.

The Blues appeared to be cruising after building a commanding 3-0 lead inside the opening 32 minutes. However, Brighton mounted a spirited comeback and turned the match into a seven-goal thriller before Cole Palmer delivered the decisive moment in the second half.

Chelsea Race Into a Three-Goal Lead

Chelsea wasted little time taking control of their first home league match under Alonso.

Romeo Lavia opened the scoring in the fourth minute, reacting quickly after Mats Wieffer cleared Joao Pedro's header off the line.

Ten minutes later, Pedro Neto doubled Chelsea's advantage with a first-time finish from Morgan Rogers' cross.

Brighton's defense continued to struggle as Chelsea pressed forward, and Joao Pedro eventually made it 3-0 after receiving Jorrel Hato's pass and calmly finding the net against his former club.

The forward had earlier missed a major opportunity to score, but made no mistake with his second chance.

Brighton Fight Back From 3-0 Down

Despite Chelsea's dominant opening, Brighton refused to surrender.

Malick Yalcouye reduced the deficit before half-time with an impressive volley that went in off the post after goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez had saved Charalampos Kostoulas' attempted lob.

Brighton then continued to threaten after the break, creating several opportunities as Chelsea's defensive advantage began to disappear.

Their pressure eventually produced another goal when Joao Pedro accidentally turned the ball into his own net, leaving Brighton within one goal of completing an extraordinary comeback.

Palmer Restores Chelsea's Advantage

With Brighton pushing for an equalizer, Cole Palmer produced the moment Chelsea needed.

The England international carried the ball forward with a powerful run before cutting inside and finding the bottom-left corner in his trademark style in the 74th minute.

Brighton responded with a late goal from Pascal Gross, but there was not enough time for the visitors to find a fourth.

Chelsea held on for a thrilling 4-3 victory and maintained their 100% Premier League record under Alonso.

Joao Pedro Makes Premier League History

Joao Pedro was one of the most talked-about players throughout the match.

The former Brighton forward contributed at both ends, registering a goal, an assist and an own goal in the same Premier League fixture.

He became only the sixth player in Premier League history to record all three in a single match and the first Chelsea player to achieve the unusual feat.

Palmer also continued his impressive record against Brighton, with the Chelsea star now having scored six Premier League goals against the Seagulls, more than against any other opponent.

Alonso Makes a Flying Start at Chelsea

The victory means Alonso has won both of his opening Premier League matches as Chelsea manager.

His side have also produced seven goals across their first two league games, underlining the attacking potential of the new-look Chelsea team.

Alonso is now only the fourth manager to see his team score at least seven goals across his first two Premier League matches, following Bobby Robson, Michael Laudrup and Marcelo Bielsa.

Chelsea's opening two victories have therefore provided both points and entertainment, although the defensive issues exposed by Brighton's comeback will give Alonso plenty to work on.

Chelsea Maintain Perfect Premier League Record

Chelsea's victory over Brighton keeps them perfect at the beginning of the new Premier League campaign.

After beating Fulham 3-2 in their opening match, the Blues have now followed that result with another high-scoring victory.

For Alonso, the early signs are extremely encouraging. Chelsea are creating plenty of chances, their attacking players are quickly developing an understanding, and Palmer remains capable of producing decisive moments.

However, conceding three goals after establishing a 3-0 advantage also highlighted areas that need improvement if Chelsea are to compete consistently at the top of the Premier League.

For now, though, Alonso and Chelsea can celebrate another victory and an entertaining start to the new campaign.