Chelsea extend perfect start with high-scoring victory in Stamford Bridge thriller against Brighton
By Luke Oluoch, August 30, 2026Chelsea continued their emphatic start to the new Premier League campaign, securing back-to-back victories under new manager Xabi Alonso with a pulsating 4-3 win over Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, August 30, 2026.
João Pedro and Cole Palmer both found the net for the second straight matchday as the Blues held off a spirited second-half fightback to maintain their perfect record.
With the victory, Alonso wrote his name into the Stamford Bridge history books, becoming the first Chelsea manager to win his opening two league fixtures since Thomas Tuchel accomplished the feat five years ago.
The high-flying Blues hit the ground running, taking the lead after just three minutes. Midfielder Roméo Lavia reacted quickest inside a crowded penalty area, prodding home from a well-worked set piece to set the tone for an explosive opening period.
Chelsea go 3-0 up
Chelsea doubled their advantage in the 14th minute through a swift counter-attacking move.
Summer arrival Morgan Rogers surged into the box with power and purpose before laying off a precise pass for Pedro Neto, who stabbed the ball past the goalkeeper to double the home side’s advantage.
The early onslaught showed no signs of slowing down, as João Pedro added a third before the half-hour mark. The Brazilian forward neatly finished off a low, driving cross from Jorrel Hato to score against his former club, leaving the Seagulls reeling.
Brighton managed to stem the tide before the interval when Malick Yalcouyé finished off a brilliant team sequence, slotting past debutant goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who had earlier produced a sharp save to deny the visitors.
Palmer restores lead
Fabian Hürzeler’s side threatened a full-blown comeback around the hour mark when João Pedro accidentally turned a Brighton corner into his own net, cutting Chelsea’s lead to just a single goal.
However, Cole Palmer restored order in the 74th minute. The England playmaker picked up the ball deep in midfield, drove past two defenders, and curled a sublime strike beyond Bart Verbruggen’s despairing dive.
Pascal Gross grabbed a late consolation goal in stoppage time, but Chelsea held firm to seal a dramatic victory and cap off an entertaining seven-goal thriller.
Chelsea has now picked up two victories, plunderiing in seven goals in their opening two games after last week opening 3-2 win over Fulham.