Chelsea FC have their Premier League opener at Brighton & Hove Albion won 3-1 (1-0). The Londoners took an early lead (23rd minute) after a penalty from captain Jorginho converted. Leandro Trossard equalized (54th). Just two minutes later, Reece James brought the Blues back into the front (56th), before Kurt Zouma made the decision with his goal (66th).
No club invested as much money in player transfers in 2020 as Chelsea. After the transfer ban last season, the Blues strengthened themselves with Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig), Ben Chilwell (Leicester City) and Hakim Ziyech (AFC Ajax) for over 200 million euros; Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain) was taken on for a free transfer.
The two German internationals Havertz and Werner were the only two newcomers to make their debut for Chelsea. Havertz started on the right, Werner acted as the sole striker.
First chance, first goal
The initial phase began relatively unspectacularly. Brighton played well, Chelsea’s newly formed offensive did not yet spark any danger. It only became dangerous when Jorginho switched quickly after a setup mistake by the Seagulls and played the ball steeply on Werner, who appeared free in front of Mathew Ryan. The newcomer from Leipzig wanted to pass the ball past the keeper, but was hit by Ryan and went down. Jorginho converted the penalty kick (23).
Havertz remained inconspicuous
Brighton equalized shortly after the break. Because the ball slipped through Kepa’s hands, Trossard’s shot landed in goal from just under 20 meters (54th). The prompt response from the Blues brought James into the right angle with a dream goal from 25 meters (56th). The decision came after a deflected shot from Zouma (66th).
Havertz’s first appearance for Chelsea ended after 80 minutes. The 21-year-old was noticeable about the lack of coordination with his new colleagues. Chelsea face Liverpool next Sunday.
