If you want edge-of-the-seat drama and excitement, Stamford Bridge is the place to be, writes Tim Harrison.
After last season’s forgettable parade of matches left Chelsea out of Europe, this one is shaping up to be enormous fun for fans, with a 3-2 opening-weekend win at Fulham followed up by Sunday’s (August 30) 4-3 victory against never-say-die Brighton at the Bridge.
At this rate it might be worth a punt on 5-4 when the Blues travel to Arsenal on Sunday.
Last weekend’s clash with the Seagulls started – as usual – with an early Chelsea goal when Romeo Lavia found himself in the right place at the right time to prod home a loose ball after four minutes. When Neto struck a second and Joao Pedro a third before half an hour had been played, it looked all over.
Read more
Flat blocks 'with possibly ZERO affordable housing' proposed for East Croydon
Blues to face Leeds next in League Cup
But after Malick Yalcoyue brought it back to 3-1, and added another on the break, the visiting fans suddenly believed a real comeback was possible.
Malo Gusto’s lightning-fast throw-in on 75 minutes set Cole Palmer on his way, however, and when the scoreboard clicked over to 4-2, all looked well. Until Brighton grabbed a third from a Pascal Gross header just before ref Michael Oliver blew the final whistle.
The 39,497 gathered in the stadium will surely not experience seven-goal thrillers every week, but the Xabi Alonso era already seems more enjoyable than the interminable sideways passing marathons of old.
Emi Martinez’s debut between the sticks for Chelsea guarantees more unpredictable maverick goalmouth action, while Pedro looks sharp, and newbie Argentinian midfielder Valentin Barco impressed as a sub, even if he had to endure chants of “The Falklands are ours” from the away fans.
As this reshuffled Chelsea pack get to know each other and continue developing the rapid turnovers and blistering 10-yard breakaway sprints demanded by Alonso, we’re in for a frantic ride.
By continuing to wave his arms around like a conductor in the Royal Albert Hall, Alonso is almost as watchable as his team. More please!
Meanwhile, Chelsea Women’s opponents this week have coach Natalia Arroyo in common. The former gaffer at Real Sociedad Femenino now manages Aston Villa, who visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday (KO 12.30pm) for the women’s first league game at their new shared home.
In midweek the Blues travelled to Spain for the second leg of their Champions League qualifier against her old club, Chelsea defending a 5-2 first-leg advantage. Blues manager Sonia Bompastor will be back on the touchline having served a suspension.
Share