Chelsea recorded a 4-3 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion in a topsy-turvy affair at Stamford Bridge, making it three wins from three in the space of a week. The Blues were electric in the final third, with their all-star front three of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro running riot in a first-half blitz that ultimately got them over the line.
It was a game shrouded in controversy off the pitch, with the exclusions of Enzo Fernandez and Robert Sanchez from the hosts’ matchday squad, but Xabi Alonso’s men clung on when the going got tough to snare all three points.
The final piece of the jigsaw
Emi Martinez arrived at Stamford Bridge to some fanfare, with the home faithful cheering their new recruit’s every involvement. The Argentine’s £7.5million move from Aston Villa was confirmed as late as Sunday morning, but the deal was completed in time to register the former Arsenal shot-stopper ahead of this fixture.
He immediately displaced Sanchez in between the sticks, and offered the calmness that the Chelsea defence has been crying out for for the last two campaigns. Three goals conceded would not have been part of his dream debut, but he was not at fault for any of them, with the strikes instead underscoring the underlying defensive frailties that the Blues still have.
For much of the encounter, the west Londoners looked far more watertight at the back, but tiny errors - which will hurt them dearly if they are not erased - will still be the bane of Alonso’s existence. Wipe those out, and they could well have finally assembled a very sturdy looking defensive unit. At some expense.
The midfield conundrum
Oh, Enzo, what to do with you? Leave him out entirely for the second game running, as it turns out. Another bold call from the Chelsea manager to leave out his star No8, who remains heavily linked with an exit ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
The stranger decision was trialling natural wing-back Malo Gusto in centre-field, pairing him with Romeo Lavia, who impressed ahead of Moises Caicedo. But the pivot in Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 remains one that he hasn’t quite sussed out yet.
Lavia’s all-action performance will surely have given him a real stake at a regular starting berth, but James’ introduction in the engine room once more shows that Alonso still highly values leadership and experience in the middle of the park - and rightly so, as the game got sticky in the second period.
Valentin Barco was also handed a cameo - to ferocious abuse from the travelling fans - but he is likely to be reduced to a squad role as he acclimatises following his switch from Strasbourg. Will there be a final addition before the window closes? Lamine Camara? Alex Scott? Or will the Fernandez fiasco sort itself out?
The tricky trio
Alonso won’t quite believe how quickly his new-look attack has gelled. Palmer, Rogers, and Joao Pedro all interlinked as if they had played with each other for years, let alone mere weeks in this new shape.
Rogers and Palmer, best mates from their days in Manchester City’s youth setup, have been handed dream roles to fully exploit their powers. The creative freedom that both are afforded allows the former to utilise his athleticism and ball-carrying ability to hurt teams, as was demonstrated by the home side’s second goal.
Palmer was able to pick up the little pockets of space and work his magic quietly, before he burst into life with 15 minutes to go, proving that he is not one to be outshone easily. Joao Pedro, sporting the heavy No9 shirt on his back, produced the complete centre-forward’s performance.
Spinning Lewis Dunk and Luka Vuskovic, no slouches by any means, this way and that, dropping deep to link play, and playing the role of target man at certain times while adding in his trademark flicks and frills that make him the entertainer that he is. Doubts had been raised previously about his ability to lead a line, but based off this performance, he will take some stopping this season.
