The one thing that mattered
Moises Caicedo lasted 11 minutes. Substituted off with an injury on his return to action during the 4–3 win over Brighton, and suddenly the midfielder's whole situation flips (12) (20) (32). Two straight wins to open the Alonso era, six points on the board, and the story still manages to be a setback. That is where Chelsea are: every good week comes with a bill.
This was the game everyone will remember for the scoreline. Seven goals, a hat-trick of chaos, and Chelsea hanging on at the end against a Brighton side that refused to go away. Romeo Lavia scored first, Pedro Neto added another, Joao Pedro scored at both ends, and Cole Palmer settled it with the winner (2) (3) (4) (9) (15) (16). It was fun. It was also the same defensive mess Chelsea have served up for months.
The defence is the number that will not move
Eighteen league games without a clean sheet. That is not a blip, it is an identity (22). Aston Villa's Emiliano Martínez arrived for €8.75m and started immediately, and still Chelsea conceded three at home (1) (6). João Pedro said the dressing room knew his quality the moment he walked in, and the debut numbers back it up: four diving saves, 13 recoveries, 0.81 xG prevented (12) (6).
None of that matters if the back line keeps leaking three goals a game. Martínez can only rescue so much. Palmer's strike was the difference, but it should never have needed to be.
What to watch
Arsenal away, Sunday September 6 at 17:30. That is the first real test of the Alonso project, and it comes with Caicedo almost certainly out. If the midfielder's setback is serious, Chelsea head to the Emirates without their best presser. Concede three there and the eight-league-games record starts looking generous.
