Chelsea: A Promising Start to the Alonso Era

Xabi Alonso has enjoyed an encouraging beginning to his time at Chelsea. His first Premier League game delivered plenty of drama, with João Pedro scoring after only 31 seconds before Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer helped the Blues secure a 3-2 win over Fulham.

Chelsea followed that result with a 2-0 victory against Luton in the League Cup, where Danny Welbeck marked his debut by getting on the scoresheet. The squad could soon receive another boost, with Wesley Fofana available again after serving his suspension and Moises Caicedo potentially returning from injury. Enzo Fernandez's future, however, remains unclear amid continued transfer speculation.

Brighton: Flying High After Back-to-Back Four-Goal Wins

Fabian Hürzeler's Brighton have started the campaign in impressive fashion. The Seagulls opened their league season with a commanding 4-0 victory over Aston Villa before repeating that scoreline against Tromsø in the return leg of their Conference League qualifier, comfortably booking their place in the competition's main stage.

Brighton also arrive with a major psychological advantage. They have beaten Chelsea in each of their last four meetings across all competitions, including a 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge last September and a 3-0 home triumph in April.

Match Facts and Head-to-Head

Chelsea have won both competitive matches since Xabi Alonso took charge.

Brighton have scored eight goals without conceding in their last two games.

The Seagulls have won their previous four matches against Chelsea in all competitions.