Chelsea maintained their perfect start to the new Premier League season as they held on to defeat Brighton in an entertaining match at Stamford Bridge.
Romeo Lavia’s first goal in a Chelsea shirt handed the Blues a dream start in Xabi Alonso’s first home league game in charge.
Brighton were made to pay for a costly error inside four minutes as Mats Wieffer did well on the goalline to block Joao Pedro’s header from a corner but goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen then fumbled to allow an easy tap-in for Lavia.
Their lead was doubled 10 minutes later when Morgan Rogers got the better of Brighton’s record signing Luka Vuskovic on the left and crossed in for Pedro Neto to get in front of Ferdi Kadioglu and prod home.
The Seagulls were caught out again in the 32nd minute. This time left wing-back Jorrel Hato beat Wieffer for pace and found Joao Pedro to make it 3-0 against his former club.
But the visitors valiantly fought back to give themselves a glimmer of hope.
They pulled one back before the break as Chelsea debutant Emi Martinez came off his line to deny Charalampos Kostoulas and Malick Yalcouye volleyed in the loose ball.
Brighton started the second half strongly and reduced the deficit further in the 63rd minute when Yalcouye played in Pascal Gross, whose shot took a big deflection off Joao Pedro to beat Martinez.
Cole Palmer eased Chelsea’s nerves with a brilliant individual goal, curling past Verbruggen from outside the box to restore his side’s two-goal lead in the 74th minute.
Brighton found a third goal from virtually the final action of the game as Gross headed past Martinez, but Fabian Hurzeler’s side could not complete their comeback.
…Man United Flog Ipswich 5-2
Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick as Manchester United came from behind to comfortably beat Ipswich Town.
The visitors, who beat Sunderland on their Premier League return last weekend, led when Leif Davis scored a fine half-volley after wonderful wing play by Abdul Fatawu.
But the whole momentum of the game turned when Marcelino Nunez slipped, allowing United to break from a corner and Matheus Cunha fed Fernandes to score.
United then led when Harry Maguire’s shot was deflected in by Jacob Greaves for an own goal. The ball hit Maguire’s arms in the build-up but the goal was allowed since he did not score it himself.
Three minutes later Ipswich centre-back Greaves was involved again, chopping down Cunha for a penalty – which Fernandes dispatched.
The United captain then grabbed his third, pouncing after Kobbie Mainoo and Bryan Mbeumo both had shots blocked.
Fernandes then sent Mbeumo away with a ball over the top and his shot hit the crossbar before spinning over the line to make it 5-1 to the hosts.
Ipswich grabbed a late consolation when Julio Enciso cut the ball back for half-time substitute Chuba Akpom to score.
