Chelsea secured a remarkable victory in a seven-goal thriller against Brighton (4-3) at Stamford Bridge, maintaining a perfect start under new manager Xabi Alonso.
The Blues got off to a blistering start, racing into a three-goal lead thanks to strikes from Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto (assisted by record signing Morgan Rogers), and former Seagulls striker Joao Pedro. However, Brighton refused to roll over; just before half-time, Malik Yahyaoui pulled one back, and in the second half, a shot from Pascal Gross ricocheted off Joao Pedro to score an own goal against debutant Emiliano Martinez (£7.5m from Aston Villa).
Despite Brighton's pressure and several saves from Martinez, Cole Palmer added Chelsea's fourth with a splendid effort into the bottom corner. Gross's header in injury time couldn’t deny Alonso's side all three points.
The match was also notable for its personnel developments: Enzo Fernandez missed the squad for the second game in a row amidst negotiations with Manchester City, while substitute Moises Caicedo picked up an injury almost immediately after coming on.
