Chelsea edge Brighton 4-3 but remain chaotic under Xabi Alonso

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In the fullness of time Chelsea’s surrender against Brighton & Hove Albion last April may come to be seen as the turning point. The humiliation accelerated Liam Rosenior’s demise and forced the Stamford Bridge hierarchy into a reckoning which has led to the appointment of Xabi Alonso, a shift in the transfer strategy, the JP Morgan front three and the end of Robert Sánchez’s time as the No 1 goalkeeper.

For now, though, the argument that Emiliano Martínez is the final piece in the jigsaw seems a touch premature. There are many enjoyable parts to Alonso’s rejigged Chelsea, especially when Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro click in attack, but other problems remain and the early evidence suggests a title challenge will only be sustained if performances become less chaotic.

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