Chelsea Lead Brighton as Clean Sheet Wait Goes On
Romeo Lavia and Joao Pedro put Chelsea in front at Stamford Bridge, but Malick Yalcouye's volley extended a run of 18 games without a shutout.
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Two Goals at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea took control of their Premier League home fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion, with Romeo Lavia scoring early and Joao Pedro adding a second. The Guardian reported that Marc Cucurella's replacement on the left, Jorrel Hato, carried the ball forward before laying it into Joao Pedro's path for a simple finish.
Brighton pulled a goal back through Malick Yalcouye, a young midfielder making his debut, with what the Guardian described as a sweet volley. Diego Gomez then headed over from a Pascal Gross cross, and had another chance late in the first half that he could not keep down.
Both outlets were covering the match live, and neither source gives a final score. The BBC reported that Chelsea were in front after Yalcouye's goal. Brighton were missing a number of players, and readers on the BBC's live page criticised head coach Fabian Hurzeler for playing midfielder Mats Wieffer at right back.
Attack and Defence Under Xabi Alonso
The Guardian said this was Xabi Alonso's first home match in charge of Chelsea and that his side's attacking play had been red hot, though it noted the defence needs work. Danny Welbeck, formerly of Brighton, was warming up as a Chelsea substitute, with Charalampos Kostoulas leading the line.
The BBC reported that Chelsea have now gone 18 Premier League games without a clean sheet, their longest run without a shutout in league competition since a stretch of 31 matches between November 1960 and August 1961.
Sky Sports, previewing the weekend, wrote that Chelsea might have the best attack in the division after a 3-2 win at Fulham, in which Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro combined for all three goals. Sky also said goalkeeper Robert Sanchez made a costly error in that game. The BBC put Rogers' transfer fee at £117m.
Tributes to Tambling and Bates
Chelsea said pre-match tributes were paid to former striker Bobby Tambling and former chairman Ken Bates, both of whom died over the summer. Members of both families attended, and supporters were asked to be in their seats 15 minutes before the 2pm kick-off.
The matchday programme carried a full obituary of Bates, who held the chairmanship for 22 years and, the club said, ensured Stamford Bridge remained Chelsea's home. Tambling was remembered by his former room-mate and strike partner Barry Bridges, who recalled their joint debut against West Ham United in February 1959, when both men scored.
The programme also carried an interview with new signing Marco Palestra, the reigning Serie A Defender of the Year, who said he expected to cope with the intensity and physicality of English football.
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