Classy Cole Palmer settles Chelsea nerves as Blues hold off Brighton fightback

By Robert O'Connor, Press Association

Chelsea’s winning start to life under Xabi Alonso continued with a pulsating 4-3 win over Brighton at Stamford Bridge.

It was another display of electrifying attacking football that should have had the game won inside half-an-hour, goals from Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro putting the home side into a three-goal lead that was then almost dismantled by a brave Brighton fightback and their own clumsy defending.

Malick Yalcouye crashed in his first goal for the Seagulls, beating goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez on his debut, then Pedro’s own goal had Chelsea teetering on the edge of an embarrassing collapse on the hour.

As often before in such circumstances, they turned to Cole Palmer. He took matters into his own hands to take the game away from the visitors and send Alonso racing down the touchline in celebration, bulldozing through midfield to lash in his team’s fourth.

The question remains whether a title challenge is plausible while the Blues’ defence remains this obliging. Most alarming was not that Brighton pulled back to within one goal, but the loss of control the team suffered when they came under pressure.

Even with the game won deep in stoppage time, Pascal Gross was given time and space to nod in an easy consolation goal.

There was no place in the Chelsea squad for Enzo Fernandez, whose departure before Tuesday’s transfer deadline appears increasingly likely, nor Robert Sanchez, whose errors in the win over Fulham may prove to be his last for Chelsea following the arrival of Martinez.

The hosts made a fast start. In the fourth minute, Pedro flicked on Neto’s corner, Mats Wieffer stopped the ball on the line but was prevented from clearing it by Bart Verbruggen, whose clumsy swipe presented Lavia with the opening goal.

After 14 minutes it was 2-0. Morgan Rogers skimmed around Luka Vuskovic and his cutback found Neto arriving to beat Ferdi Kadioglu to the ball and finish.

Pedro was guilty of an awful miss which could have finished off Brighton inside 25 minutes.

It took only until the half-hour mark for him to redeem himself. A beautiful ball from deep inside his own half by Rogers released Jorrel Hato, who charged down the left, beating Wieffer and squaring for Pedro to finish into the corner.

Brighton cut the deficit when Charalampos Kostoulas had an effort well saved by Martinez and Yalcouye lashed the rebound against a post and in. It is now 18 league matches since Chelsea last kept a clean sheet.

Brighton’s interest in the match was revived and they should have pulled to within a goal of Chelsea 10 minutes into the second half, Diego Gomez given a free header inside the six-yard box which he wastefully planted wide.

Brighton scored a second just past the hour mark, Pedro sticking out a foot and deflecting Gross’ cross into his own goal.

The home side needed something to settle their nerves and it was provided by Palmer.

The forward picked up the ball midway inside Brighton’s half and ran hard and direct straight through the midfield, opening up his body and sending a delightful curling finish past Verbruggen.

Gross’ stoppage-time header came too late for Fabian Hurzeler’s side.