FOOTBALL – CHELSEA’S vibrant start to life under new manager Xabi Alonso continued with a 4-3 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion and Bruno Fernandes’s hat-trick helped Manchester United to a crushing 5-2 win over Ipswich Town to ignite their Premier League season yesterday.
An early goal by Romeo Lavia and efforts by Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro put them 3-0 up after 32 minutes but the visitors hit back through Malick Yalcouye and a Joao Pedro own goal.
Cole Palmer settled home nerves, though, with a clinical finish, only for Pascal Gross to head a third for Brighton deep in stoppage time. Chelsea joined Manchester City and Hull City on six points after two rounds of fixtures.
United, well-beaten at Hull last weekend, fell behind against another promoted club as Leif Davis gave Ipswich the lead at a stunned Old Trafford.
But Fernandes thumped home an equaliser on the counter-attack before a Jacob Greaves own goal put United ahead, and the captain struck twice more, once from the spot, in the second half.
Chelsea included new goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the starting line-up instead of Robert Sanchez after he completed his move from Aston Villa and while he conceded three times, that was forgotten in a vibrant display. Alonso’s side have scored seven goals and conceded five and will face champions Arsenal next week.
Brentford looked on course to join Chelsea on six points as they led through Kevin Schade’s fine finish at Leeds United but Dominic Calvert-Lewin netted a second-half equaliser.
Sunderland gathered their first points of the season as Wilson Isidor came off the bench to score in a 1-0 home win against a disappointing Fulham side who have lost both their opening matches under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa.
After a 3-2 victory at local rivals Fulham, a mood of optimism has swept Chelsea after last season’s woes and Spaniard Alonso’s first home game in charge did not disappoint.
There is clearly still work to be done at the back, but Chelsea’s attacking verve was clear to see again.
“During the game there are different moments and some moments that we have done really well and other moments that we can do better,” Alonso, whose team’s credentials will become clearer after next week’s trip to Arsenal, said.
“I want to win, whatever it takes to win. Today was a big challenge and next Sunday it’s going to be a big one.”
When Lavia poked home after a defensive mix-up by Mats Wieffer and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and then Morgan Rogers eased past Brighton’s record signing Luka Vuskovic to set up Neto to prod home from close range, Chelsea were flying.
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