Chelsea fans are known to be picky, but with his performance against Brighton, Xabi Alonso seems to have quickly won their hearts.
This was an eye-catching match with a total of 7 goals, when Chelsea continuously created entertaining plays and made the audience at Stamford Bridge constantly chant the name of the new coach.
Chelsea not only controlled the game but also showed formidable strength in attack. Joao Pedro played prominently, both scoring goals and accidentally putting the ball into his own net before the ridicule of Brighton fans.
Cole Palmer continues to prove his value with his fourth goal, thereby showing that he is gradually regaining his best form after a period of decline.
Emiliano Martinez also made his Chelsea debut after moving from Aston Villa. Although the Argentine goalkeeper could not help his team keep a clean sheet, his appearance still brings another quality option for the defense that is not really stable.
Pedro Neto impressed when placed in the right-back position. With 7 goals after the first 2 matches, Chelsea is showing that they have enough basis to be considered a serious candidate for the Premier League title race. The upcoming away trip to Arsenal's stadium will therefore be even more anticipated.
The biggest highlight lies in the attacking trio Palmer, Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers. The combination of technique, mobility and speed of them is creating one of the most watchable attacks in the league. In the context that Enzo Fernandez continues to be absent due to future-related issues, Chelsea still maintains their attacking power.
However, The Blues continue to reveal problems in defensive ability. This team has not kept a clean sheet in the Premier League since January last year. Brighton has taken advantage of that to cause many difficulties for Chelsea.
From a 3-0 lead, Chelsea was dragged into a breathtaking chase when Brighton narrowed the score to 2-3. However, when Brighton had a chance to create a comeback, Palmer spoke up again.
The English midfielder received the ball from midfield, had enough time to observe and then unleashed a dangerous shot into the low corner of the goal, increasing the score to 4-2 and almost deciding the match.
Brighton still managed to score another goal in the 90+6 minute when Gross scored, but that was not enough to change the result. Chelsea once again showed that they still have many problems in defense, but with the vibrant attacking football under Alonso, fans probably don't want to worry too much about that.
I want to win and will do anything necessary to win. Each match can be different, so we need to prepare for the best conditions. We need to train to reach our best form, and prepare for any situation that may occur, so we cannot repeat this performance against Arsenal" - Alonso said.
