Frank Lampard led Chelsea to their first win of the season as they secured a 3-1 away to Brighton at the Amex stadium.
Despite Brighton taking a hold of the game in the first half, Chelsea opened the scoring half-way through the first half when a defensive mistake from the Brighton defenders allowed Jorginho to pounce on the loose-ball and release the new man Timo Werner. The German won a penalty after beating the Brighton goalie with a sleek move before falling off a challenge.
Jorginho stepped up and calmly slotted in the penalty to maintain his 100 percent record from the penalty spot for the Blues.
Although Brighton continued to dominate, the first half ended with Chelsea ahead, thanks to Jorginho’s penalty.
The Seagulls finally got a deserved equalizer in the 54th minute when Leandro Trossard curled his effort past Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Chelsea responded almost immediately, scoring just 98 seconds after. Reece James fired a thunderbolt into the top bins to clinch his first goal for Chelsea in the Premier League, after he was freed on the edge on the box by goal scorer Jorginho.
Brighton came close to an equalizer when Lewis Dunk missed a point black header barely five minutes after.
Chelsea continued to dominate, and finally, they doubled their lead in the 66th-minute. Reece James whipped in a corner-kick from the right-wing which found the leg of central defender Kurt Zuma. The Frenchman’s directed his shot goal-wards before it deflected off into the net.
Chelsea held on to their two-goal advantage and ultimately went on to secure their first win of the new season.
Timo Werner & Havertz Make Debuts.
While it was a cold debut for German international and Chelsea record signing Kai Havertz, Timo Werner was at the heart of the action for his new team.
Werner got off to a flying start as he won the penalty leading to Chelsea’s opener in the 23rd-minute.
He was also Chelsea’s main attacking outlet as he was a major threat to the Brighton defense.
Werner came close to opening his account for the blues when his shot was parried away by Ryan early in the second half. He tried his luck from inside the box with a cheeky flick late in the game, however, he failed to find the back of the net.
His compatriot Kai Havertz put on a decent performance, however, he struggled to get a foothold in his debut. He made a series of misplaced passes while also failing to get tucked into challenges. He was taken off in the 80th minute for Callum Hudson Odoi.
Tariq Lamptey stars against his former club
Brighton full-back Tariq Lamptey had a stellar performance as he faced his former club.
Lamptey was sold to Brighton mid-way through last season after he was unable to break into the Chelsea first-team as Azpiliqueta and fellow academy graduate Reece James ranked higher in the pecking order.
However, since his move, the full-back has grown into one of the highest-rated attacking right-backs in the league.
Against Chelsea tonight, Lamptey was simply sensational. He threatened the Chelsea defense on several occasions before capping his stellar performance with an assist for Brighton’s equalizer.
Surely Chelsea fans would wonder why such a bright star-like Tariq Lamptey was allowed to leave the Bridge.
