Chelsea

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea and Brighton both enjoyed impressive wins in their opening fixtures of the new season.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of their meeting at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (14:00 BST).

A first Premier League match at the Chelsea helm proved to be an eventful one for new manager Xabi Alonso.

Joao Pedro was awarded the number nine shirt ahead of this season and rewarded that faith by netting after just 31 seconds – the quickest goal ever scored by a team in their opening Premier League fixture.

If Chelsea's fast start promised a straightforward contest, it proved to be anything but in the visitors' 3-2 win.

Cole Palmer deservedly dominated headlines in a triumphant return to form after setting up the opener and scoring what proved to be the winner in the second half, but Alonso will be equally pleased with the performance of debutant Morgan Rogers.

The £117m summer signing from Aston Villa scored Chelsea's second goal and created five chances from open play for the first time in his Premier League career, while he was also their most effective presser.

However, Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez did look vulnerable once again, with the Blues now failing to keep a clean sheet in their past 17 Premier League games.

They next face a Brighton team who opened their 2026-27 account by scoring four goals against Villa – their biggest victory on the opening day of a league season in 26 years since beating Mansfield Town 6-0 in the fourth tier.

The Seagulls recorded an expected goals tally of 3.4 from open play – their highest on record – to continue an excellent opening-game record of five wins and a draw in their past six Premier League campaigns.

Central to their success against Villa was an effective high press, long a hallmark of a Fabian Hurzeler team but one that was executed with particular aplomb last Sunday.

Brighton amassed 19 high turnovers, their second highest tally in a league match since Hurzeler joined the club two years ago, although Jack Hinshelwood, who scored a brace last weekend, is set to miss several weeks because of a training ground injury.

Four goals against Villa is followed by a fixture in which the Seagulls tend to flourish in attack. They have triumphed in the past three top-flight meetings with Chelsea, scoring three goals on each occasion.

The last team to score three or more goals in four consecutive league games against the Blues was West Ham United between 1972 and 1974.

Brighton, though, will be wary of an opposing goalscorer who so recently played for them. Danny Welbeck could face his former club for the first time since departing Amex Stadium for Stamford Bridge earlier this summer.

Welbeck is Brighton's highest goalscorer in the Premier League, with 46 goals in 176 appearances. He's also the highest scorer in this Premier League fixture, scoring six times in total – including four at Stamford Bridge.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea have sanctioned the permanent transfer of striker Marc Guiu to German club RB Leipzig.

The 20-year-old is expected to join Leipzig, although sources in Germany insist there is still work to be done before the deal can be completed.

There are few details at this stage about the potential fee, although Guiu is understood to have been valued at around £25m.

The Spain Under-21 international is nearing a Stamford Bridge exit after joining from his boyhood club Barcelona in 2024 for about £5m.

Guiu played three matches during a short-lived loan spell at Sunderland last season and made 29 appearances in total for Chelsea.

Six of his eight goals for the club came during Chelsea's Conference League-winning campaign in 2024-25.

Guiu trained away from the main first-team group this summer amid expectations that he would leave Stamford Bridge.

Meanwhile, midfielder Kendry Paez has been recalled from an unsuccessful loan spell at Argentine side River Plate to free up an overseas loan slot. He is now expected to join another club on loan, potentially in England.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is not one to go into detail on transfers or discuss players at other clubs.

However, in an exchange with BBC Sport, he assessed how Chelsea's recruitment team have performed against his request to reduce the size of the squad while increasing its quality, a process that dates back to the interview stage before he joined the club.

"We are quite close to the plan we had," he said, adding: "We will see where we finish, whether it is fully executed or whether there are still things to be done, or things we could not do."

His comments align with information emerging from Stamford Bridge about the club's recruitment strategy.

Chelsea believe any sale, particularly one involving Enzo Fernandez joining Manchester City, must leave them stronger than before.

They insist City have yet to make direct club-to-club contact, although much of the groundwork for a deal can be carried out through intermediaries. Chelsea are understood to want more than the initial £120m valuation discussed earlier in the summer after the FA Cup winners missed the club's deadline.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are looking to strengthen elsewhere, with deals for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor agreed on Thursday.

There is also interest in Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, although the Ligue 1 club are seeking what sources describe as an "incredible" offer after rejecting a bid from Crystal Palace earlier in the transfer window.

Chelsea have made significant progress in selling or loaning out players this week, but still have 36 senior players on their books.

Asked how he hopes to manage the numbers, Alonso added: "I don't have a number, I have an idea. We will be close to that. Hopefully, all of them will feel involved. We are all in the same boat and everyone is pulling in the same direction."

Defender Mamadou Sarr has today joined Real Sociedad on loan and Chelsea have accepted a £3m offer from Swiss club Servette for striker David Datro Fofana.

Melissa Edwards
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Brighton at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There are no fitness concerns over Levi Colwill and Geovany Quenda after the pair missed Chelsea's Carabao Cup win over Luton Town on Thursday.

• But Alonso said they don't want to push Colwill "too hard" after the defender recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury last season.

• A decision is still to be made on whether Moises Caicedo is fit enough to return to training on Friday.

• Alonso said he won't speak about replacing Enzo Fernandez as his rumoured departure to Manchester City is "speculation", but said the Blues are ready for anything.

• On leaving the midfielder out of the squad against Luton, he said: "We need the players that are in the best situation to play. We need to take everything into consideration - players that are in a good moment, players that are not feeling that energy to play. For me, it is very important they feel this desire to play and to have good preparation."

• He added: "We talked and we decided it was better not to be part of the squad. He is a top player."

• The Spaniard said the club are "quite close" to the transfer plan they had and they will wait and see how the final days of the window develop: "We will see where we finish - if it's fully executed or there are things still to be done or things we couldn't do. But, for sure, I think, overall, the balance of what we have is going to be good. It is a process that will take time. We are in a good position, with a few more days to see."

• Danny Welbeck scored his debut goal on Thursday and Alonso described him as a "great influence" on the rest of the players and someone who is "raising the standards" among his squad.

• On facing Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton: "I know him very well from Germany, from St Pauli. He's developing the team, new players, a very intense team with interesting things. So, that's why it's going to be a good clash, a good test, on Sunday."

Listen to live commentary from Stamford Bridge on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 14:00 on Sunday

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Chelsea? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea have announced a new one-year front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with Circle Internet Group.

The agreement will promote USDC by Circle, a digital "stablecoin" designed to maintain parity with the US dollar, on the front of the player's shirts this season.

Chelsea said in a statement that Circle "enables people and businesses to move money globally with internet speed and 24/7 availability".

The Blues started the season without a shirt sponsor for the fourth consecutive year since their last long-term deal, with telecommunications company Three, ended at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.

Since then, Chelsea have agreed shorter-term deals with AI company Infinite Athlete and Dubai-based property company Damac.

However, they have also spent longer without a front-of-shirt commercial partner than any other Premier League club during that period.

Chelsea say their new deal with publicly-owned Circle Internet Group will give them new sponsorship revenue in line with their expected market rate, which was believed to be about £50m per season, though the exact figures have not been given.

According to The Sponsor, which publishes an annual Premier League fair market value index for front-of-shirt and sleeve sponsorships, Chelsea's projected value fell from £50.3m to £33.6m after they finished 10th in the Premier League at the end of last season.

Sources at Stamford Bridge have explained that they carefully selected the partnership due to both partners prioritising innovation and the desire to be future facing, highlighting the USDC - as a cryptocurrency - is regulated and backed by the dollar.

The brand will appear on Chelsea's shirts for the men's, women's and academy teams, with the Premier League match against Brighton at Stamford Bridge set to be its first appearance.

It remains unclear whether another long-term partner will be sought or whether Circle opt to extend their deal beyond the end of the 2026-27 campaign.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Chelsea's 2-0 win over Luton Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

Here are some of your comments:

Peter: Controlled the game, always looked likely to score, but was never tested at the back. Cole Palmer was excellent again and Valentin Barco was brilliant on his debut. Who needs Enzo Fernandez!

Nick: Very solid all-round performance. Dominated - as expected - and the result was never in doubt. Luton were stubborn and put up a good fight. Barco was impressive - very neat and controlled. Didn't learn much about Mike Penders as he had nothing to do. Job done. Leeds will be much tougher.

Hooriya: Useful minutes for some of the players not much involved against Fulham. Was surprised Palmer got to play full 90 minutes after that injury scare just days ago. On to the next one.

James: Job done and a tricky tie against Leeds next. Danny Welbeck showed his experience, which is exactly what Chelsea need. I hope this competition represents a realistic chance of a trophy and, with the Emi Martinez arrival pending, I am cautiously optimistic.

Tom: Very happy early in the season they look like they are enjoying the game and I like the comradeship. Time will tell, and Martinez would be a great addition.

Chelsea are in talks to sell striker Marc Guiu to Napoli and the deal is progressing. (Sky Sports), external

Meanwhile, Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Blues centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo. (GiveMeSport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso speaking to Sky Sports: "We needed to play with patience. Credit to Luton, they defended with heart. They were solid. It's not easy so in half-time we spoke to be patient and keep going. We scored quite quickly in the second half and that helped a lot.

On the talent in the squad: "We want to have a complete squad in all aspects, in quality, maturity, personality, young players with experienced players. It's important that young players get help to develop and in those case the experienced players help a lot. Happy with the energy and the attitude of the players. The crowd, as well, has been great, we need them for the whole season. Now rest and we'll come back here on Sunday."

On the signing of goalkeeper Emi Martinez: "No, with the summer, there are a lot of rumours, there are a lot of talks about players, so about players who are not in my changing room, so I prefer not to talk."

On whether Martinez is the type of goalkeeper he would like to add to his squad: "I like to talk about my players."

On Enzo Fernandez: "You never know. In football, there are surprises and movements, we need to be ready. We are patient and we are prepared."

On lessons from tonight's game: "Having confidence in what we are doing. Patience to get the first goal and playing with the right tempo. Today, that was the case."

Chelsea forward Danny Welbeck speaking to Sky Sports: "It's obviously really special to score on your debut, so really pleased with that. More importantly, to get through to the next round. It's not always easy when you're facing a low block and to break teams down. I got on the end of a cross and I'm happy to get the first goal."

On playing for Chelsea: "I'm feeling really good. It's obviously a privilege to play for such a club and when opportunities come round like this, it's really difficult to turn them down. I'm really happy to be here, really excited for the project ahead. I give it everything in training and then on game days, I will give it my best, too. My availability has been really good over the last few seasons and long may that continue."

On what he brings to the squad in terms of experience: "Age! I bring the average age a little bit higher. The experience of playing games, being in good and bad dressing rooms and knowing what it takes to achieve something special and push the group in the right way."

On the message from Xabi Alonso: "We have to take it step by step. We've got so much quality in that dressing room and we've added experience. we want to help the younger boys and we've got such a great group with so many talented players in there. We can do something special this season if we achieve our goals."

On facing former club Brighton at the weekend: "I'm really excited, it will be nice to see some familiar faces as well. I had a great time at Brighton and I don't have a bad word to say about them. They helped me so much. I'm looking forward to it. I've played against loads of ex-teams in my time, so it won't be too strange."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live at Stamford Bridge said: "Chelsea were always in control, Danny Welbeck with an excellent header for the first goal.

"It's another important win for Xabi Alonso, two from two.

"Leeds United will be a tougher test [in the next round] but they weren't really in much danger. They controlled the game and used the bench well.

"It's been a good start for Alonso.

"No European football for Chelsea so he knows how important it will be for him to try and win a trophy for Chelsea this season, and if he can, it will be a huge success but he has only just started."

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Get in touch with your views here

Come back to this page on Friday to find a selection of your replies

The final two Carabao Cup second-round ties take place on Thursday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment. The winner of Chelsea v Luton will host Leeds in the next round, while the victors at Craven Cottage will travel to West Ham.

• Chelsea v Luton Town (19:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Fulham v AFC Wimbledon (20:00) - - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Kick-off times BST.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

There is also Conference League action going on, with Brighton hosting Tromso in the second leg of their play-off - follow that game here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Chelsea v Luton" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Fulham match".

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Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

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Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

After a deal was agreed with Brighton last summer, Joao Pedro left a training camp in Rio de Janeiro - under the guidance of his long-time personal trainer Rodrigo Goncalves - to join Chelsea in Miami and immediately take part in the Club World Cup.

Remarkably, he scored twice in the semi-final against former club Fluminense, just days after arriving at the club. He was also on target in a sensational 3-0 win over Paris St-Germain in the final.

The Blues endured a dismal campaign following that triumph, finishing 10th in the Premier League, ending the season without a trophy and failing to qualify for Europe.

Despite that, Joao Pedro won Chelsea's player of the season award and he is among a group of senior players convinced the project can succeed under Xabi Alonso.

He signed a new contract, like midfielder Moises Caicedo and captain Reece James, while Cole Palmer has also outlined his commitment to stay amid links to Manchester United. All four are viewed as key culture-setters at the club.

Joao Pedro, in particular, impressed staff by giving more interviews than any other player during a season in which there were few positives to discuss.

Multiple sources have previously told BBC Sport that Chelsea have a dressing-room culture problem, specifically with cliques forming along language lines.

Joao Pedro and Palmer, who count each other among their closest friends, are viewed as two of the players capable of naturally bridging those divides.

One of Alonso's main objectives is to rebuild a wayward culture, which some sources have described to BBC Sport as overly "transactional" and "cold".

After his front three, including debutant Morgan Rogers, scored against Fulham, Alonso said: "They need to take responsibility. They need to lead the rest. They need to inspire the rest because if they do great, the others will follow."

Since returning to Chelsea this summer, Joao Pedro has scored eight goals in seven pre-season matches before finding the net 31 seconds into the new campaign at Fulham.

It now appears Joao Pedro may be the one capable of finally ending talk and concern of the club's number nine curse.

Read the full article

Chelsea have lined up Bournemouth's England midfielder Alex Scott, 23, as a replacement for Enzo Fernandez, who might be on the move to Manchester City. (Sun, external)

Chelsea are also closing in on a £36m deal to sign Italy defender Honest Ahanor, 18, from Atalanta. (Sky Sport Italy - in Italian, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

The draw for the Carabao Cup third round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Premier League teams in the order they were drawn.

The matches will be played in the weeks commencing September 7 and September 14.

• Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough

• Manchester United v Brighton

• Manchester City v Norwich City

• Sunderland v Hull City

• Ipswich Town v Arsenal

• Coventry City v Aston Villa

• Bournemouth v Lincoln City

• Liverpool v Tottenham

• Chelsea or Luton Town v Leeds

• Millwall v Newcastle United

• Everton v Wolves

• Reading v Brentford

• West Ham v Fulham or AFC Wimbledon

Read more and see the full draw

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Chelsea being in contact with Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez's representatives over a potential transfer.

Here are some of your comments:

Abdul: He is exactly the signing Chelsea need. There isn't even a chance of us challenging for titles with Robert Sanchez in goal. Mike Penders is a goalkeeper for the future, but Xabi Alonso knows very well that he needs to deliver early. He needs to push the board to sign Martinez one million percent. He would bring some stability at the back.

Joe: To be fair, any goalkeeper in the league would be an upgrade on Sanchez. Martinez is prone to mistakes as well, and I wonder how long it will be until fans jump on him too...

Damian: Surely it has got to be better business than allowing Sanchez to continue. At this point, I would like to see Penders given a chance, however I know he is earmarked for the future. So if we could get Martinez in for a season or two while Penders progresses, eventually becoming number one, I think it is solid business.

Peter: No, we need to stop messing about! We should spend half of the money we'll get for Enzo Fernandez on triggering Diogo Costa's release clause.