Chelsea 4-3 Brighton & Hove Albion

Chelsea held on for a wild 4-3 Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, surviving a stoppage-time scare after a match that swung relentlessly from end to end.

Romeo Lavia gave the home side a flying start with a fourth-minute goal, and Chelsea appeared to be in command when Pedro Neto doubled the advantage in the 14th minute. João Pedro added a third in the 32nd minute, but Brighton refused to fold, with Malick Yalcouyé striking three minutes later to make it 3-1 at the interval.

The fixture arrived amid plenty of attention around Chelsea’s new goalkeeper signing, Emiliano Martínez, who started, while Enzo Fernández was absent from the squad. But once the action began, the focus was firmly on a chaotic contest in which Chelsea made their cutting edge count despite seeing far less of the ball.

Brighton dominated possession with 74.4 per cent and forced seven corners, but Chelsea were ruthless in transition. The Blues registered 17 shots to Brighton’s 15 and put six efforts on target, matching the visitors’ total.

The second half brought more drama. A João Pedro own goal in the 63rd minute restored Chelsea’s three-goal cushion, only for Brighton to keep pressing. Cole Palmer struck Chelsea’s fourth in the 74th minute, a crucial goal that ultimately proved to be the winner.

Brighton continued to threaten until the final whistle, though. Pascal Groß headed home in the 96th minute to reduce the deficit and set up a nervy finish, but Chelsea saw out the remaining moments to secure all three points.

Wesley Fofana was booked for Chelsea in the 55th minute, while Brighton’s Lewis Dunk, Olivier Boscagli and Costinha also entered the referee’s notebook during an increasingly frantic second period.

The result leaves Chelsea with a perfect two wins from two in the early Premier League standings, while Brighton’s determined display ended in a narrow defeat. Chelsea now turn their attention to a major London derby against Arsenal on September 6, while Brighton host Leeds United a day earlier.

Goals

  • 4′ — Romeo Lavia (Chelsea)
  • 14′ — Pedro Neto (Chelsea)
  • 32′ — João Pedro (Chelsea)
  • 35′ — Malick Yalcouyé (Brighton & Hove Albion)
  • 63′ — João Pedro own goal (Brighton & Hove Albion)
  • 74′ — Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
  • 90+6′ — Pascal Groß (Brighton & Hove Albion)