After more chaos, Chelsea must add the final piece to challenge for the title

As two former Chelsea managers and the entire current hierarchy watched on, Xabi Alonso’s burgeoning team put on the kind of show that the ownership have long desired. If the World Cup has attuned all of American finance to football, this type of entertainment is why.

There was even a bit of edge to a frantic 4-3 win over Brighton, just to add to the theatre - and none of it was from new goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Cole Palmer, in front of Thomas Tuchel, illustrated why the England manager was wrong to leave him out of the World Cup by letting fly for the crucial match-winning goal. Joao Pedro, in front of Carlo Ancelotti, illustrated why the Brazil manager was wrong to leave him out of the World Cup by slotting in the third.

His only gesture, however, was to the Brighton fans who had been goading him all game.

That goal made it 3-0 before half-time and yet it was still like we had another match to play, as Fabian Hurzeler’s depleted side threatened a remarkable comeback.

It was chaotic. It was fun. It was another win, making it two from two for Alonso in the Premier League and three from three in all competitions.

But was it a performance to suggest winning the title?

That’s admittedly a question that is going to keep getting asked as long as Chelsea keep winning, but it’s instructive that the answer at full-time is completely different to the answer at half-time.

Here, there was almost as much of concern as there were positives, as is illustrated by the final scoreline.

If a brilliant attack looks like it can decide any game, they might need it because Chelsea currently don’t look like they can control many matches.

They have only had two moderate challenges so far in a Fulham side that couldn’t muster a shot on target against Sunderland and a Brighton team missing seven players, and won both narrowly. And that only after games packed with incident - but not much possession. Chelsea, remarkably, only had 25.6 per cent against the Seagulls. Against Fulham, it was 38 per cent.

“You need to have context,” Alonso said. “After 30 minutes, we have 3-0. The data is not important, it’s how we play and what we can do.

“I never say we have to have 60 per cent, 50 per cent… we need to adapt.”

Hurzeler was defiant in response: “We dominated the game.”

Some of that is circumstantial. Some of it by design, for the moment.

Alonso could reasonably point to how he’s missing a first-choice midfield two, which only makes the Enzo Fernandez saga more important.

The Argentine was again absent, and Moises Caicedo came off after coming on out of precaution due to recent injury issues.

Chelsea’s starting midfield of Romeo Lavia and Malo Gusto was still more substantial than Brighton’s. And yet it was the 20-year-old Malick Yalcouye who excelled. His goal sparked the part comeback.

For all the pre-match focus on the debuting Martinez, it was Bart Verbruggen’s error for Lavia’s opening goal that shaped the entire game.

Chelsea had the lead, which meant it didn’t matter as much that they didn’t have the ball.

The sense right now is that Chelsea don’t have enough control to win the league. That might nevertheless change with recruitments, evolution, or might even fit what this Premier League season is going to be. All of these new managers and signings may well play into greater chaos.

Something that Alonso remarked upon after his first Premier League match as manager, against Fulham on Monday, feels like it’s going to be important to their whole campaign.

The Basque had talked about how “emotional control” can be even more important than “tactical control” due to the nature of the Premier League, and this game only emphasised that.

He told his players at half-time that a two-goal lead wasn’t enough to kill this. “It’s not done.”

It wasn’t.

Hurzeler felt Brighton had Chelsea where they wanted them at 3-2, after a deflected strike from Gross went in off Joao Pedro, only for Palmer to rise above it all. The playmaker turned inside and surged at goal, before swerving a fine low strike into the corner.

Chelsea were of course beaming after it, Alonso leaping into the air with joy.

Hurzeler had his own interpretation.

“If you spend so much money on these kinds of players, of course for a team like Chelsea they can rely on quality,” said the German coach.

It’s an inarguably point, but also comes amid a lot of variables right now. Amid a chaotic “context”, as Alonso might put it.

It is striking that Chelsea were a basket case last season and seem to have set themselves right quickly enough. Big spending and a coach like this helps.

And, given all that, Palmer’s goal, and this entire game, may sum up something else around the season.

In the same way that a star like the playmaker just seized an opportunity out of chaos, Chelsea might seize an opportunity out of a visibly chaotic season.

Even if they are not fully formed, the Premier League itself looks so volatile that they can seize the moment. There’s enough there, even if there are also enough questions or doubts.

Alonso was inevitably asked about Fernandez, and simply said they’re ready for “all scenarios”. He also said he wanted to keep Pedro Neto, who scored Chelsea’s important second and played as a wing-back.

Whatever happens over Monday and Tuesday, the manager insisted, he would have a squad that can compete in “every Premier League game”.

And for the Premier League title?

After a forgiving start, next up is notionally the most difficult fixture of all: away to the champions and bitter rivals Arsenal.

Then we’ll see much more of what Chelsea are really about.