Martinez concedes three on debut but Chelsea beat Brighton 4-3
Emiliano Martinez conceded three goals in his first Chelsea start but made several key saves as the Blues held on for a 4-3 win.
Chelsea edged Brighton 4-3 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League second round, despite Emiliano Martinez conceding three goals on his debut for the club. The match was one of two fixtures that kicked off at 15:00 on the weekend of the league's second round.
Busy debut for Martinez; Chelsea hold on
Chelsea established a strong early lead as Lavia, Neto and Joao Pedro put the hosts 3-0 ahead. Brighton fought back and reduced the deficit to 3-2, but Palmer restored a two-goal cushion at 4-2 before Gross set the final score at 4-3.
Emiliano Martinez, making his first appearance in goal for Chelsea, conceded three goals but also produced several outstanding saves that helped the team preserve the win.
Head coach Xabi Alonso will take encouragement from the victory and from the team's performance in the opening phase of the match; nevertheless, he now has "two from two" at the start of the Premier League season.
Elsewhere in the round, Leeds and Brentford played out a 1:1 draw, while Sunderland beat Fulham 1:0.
The result gives Chelsea momentum as they continue through the early fixtures of the campaign, while Martinez's debut offered both promise and questions ahead of the busy season.
Photo: press material from the event
