Chelsea has got the new Premier League season off to a good start. On a visit to Brighton & Hove Albion, manager Frank Lampard’s team picked up three points. The Blues won the game without impressing with 1-3 by goals from Jorginho, Reece James and Kurt Zouma. Despite the victory, Kepa Arrizabalaga will have mixed feelings about the game as he did not go free at the goal in the 55th minute.

On Chelsea’s side, Hakim Ziyech was missing in the match selection. The purchase of up to 44 million euros suffered a knee injury in the preparation and therefore still has to wait for his official debut, just like Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva. At Brighton & Hove Albion, Joël Veltman stayed on the bench for ninety minutes, while Davy Pröpper was not in the match selection because of an injury. The Dutch absent saw their team fall behind after 23 minutes of play. Brighton lost the ball in the build-up, after which base starter Timo Werner went into the penalty area. Goalkeeper Mathew Ryan narrowed his goal and brought down the German striker with a penalty kick as a result. From eleven metres on Jorginho made no mistake: 0-1.

The second half was less than ten minutes old when Kepa’s goal came under fire. Leandro Trossard’s shot seemed tenable, but it fell into the far corner. It was already the nineteenth Premier League goal from outside the penalty area. Since his transfer to Chelsea, no English league goalkeeper has had so many hits around his ears from outside the sixteen. It wasn’t a blunder, but it certainly didn’t look like the Spanish goalpost. Kepa was already under fire at Chelsea last season and his base position has been under discussion for some time now, possibly even saying a final goodbye to him. According to English media Stade Rennes-keeper Edouard Mendy is about to sign a contract at Stamford Bridge. The disappointment did not cause Chelsea any point loss, as the answer from the visitors was not long in coming.

Two minutes after Trossard’s goal it was Reece James who shot his team back into the lead. He got the ball from about twenty metres from the goal in front of his feet and he didn’t change his mind for a moment. The right leg couldn’t have hit the leather better and left Ryan without a chance. The Brigthon keeper had another chance ten minutes later when Kurt Zouma was in the right spot at a corner kick. The defender saw his effort changed direction by Adam Webster: 3-1. In the closing stages Lampard brought Kai Havertz to the side after a somewhat unfortunate debut. The German purchase of up to one hundred million euros could not impress in his first appearance for the Blues.