Chelsea runs past 10-man Brighton as Nicolas Jackson shines

Adam Lallana’s spoke at Lincoln Financial Field and gave some great insight into the Brighton project as well as his faith in new Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino.

The ex-Liverpool man is not mincing words about Brighton’s ability to repeat its impressive 2022-23 season.

“Great signs there,” Lallana said. “There’s been no sort of hangover. We’re onto second targets in Europe. We’re not just turning up to be in Europe. We want to win the Europa League. That’s our target. And to keep a good position in the Premier League. It won’t be easy. We need a strong, deep squad for that and we’ve been speaking about it, and we need to understand it.”

Lallana says that his former Liverpool pal James Milner, who was on the scene but did not dress for Brighton, is going to help the Seagulls in many ways.

“He’s settled in so quickly,” Lallana said. “I think he’s been pleasantly surprised at the level. I know he’s been impressed by Roberto (De Zerbi), his ideas and how he works.”

As for the opposing manager on Saturday night, Lallana had huge praise for his former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

“I miss him a lot,” Lallana said. “He was incredible for me at Southampton. He was like a father to me when I was there. I have such fond memories. He’s going to do great at Chelsea. It’s a great project and it seems he has the fire in his belly back after a bit of time out after Paris, and I wish him all the success this season.”

Twenty-two year old Nicolas Jackson is a young player, but he is relatively experienced compared to some of the Chelsea players.

He does not believe that will be a problem for him or for the greater Chelsea project.

“It’s a young team but I’m used to playing with young players,” Jackson said. “In my last team we had young players and we fought and the coach believed in us and we delivered. Our players are young but we are going to do amazing things this year.”

He also was asked about the much-discussed January move to Bournemouth that did not happen, and how it prepared him for this.

“It was very difficult because of injury, but when one door closes, another opens. I went back and worked harder,” Jackson said. “I had faith. I knew everything happened for a reason. I worked harder and it shows off.”

Phew.

Nicolas Jackson is declared the Man of the Match and Chelsea opens the Summer Series with a 4-3 win.

There are questions that remain at the back but it was 1-1 when Thiago Silva subbed out and Benoit Badiashile did not play. Levi Colwill won’t love his penalty.

As for Brighton, Joao Pedro is going to have the Seagulls dreaming of Week 1.

Well, Joao Pedro’s looking every bit the star Brighton meant to buy from Watford.

The big-bodied Pedro adds an assist to his goal as he carves up the right side of Chelsea’s back line, leaving Bashir Humphreys in the dust before sending the ball into danger.

Denis Undav showed his finishing boots late last season and he makes no mistake in bringing Brighton back within one.

Former Brighton loanee Levi Colwill has sent the Seagulls to the spot.

Joao Pedro dribbles in from the left side and is cut down by Colwill, and there’s no VAR tonight even if the U-21 EURO winner wanted to lodge a complaint.

It’s a picture-perfect penalty from Pedro, and Brighton has the score line 4-2.

Lewis Hall enters the game for Colwill.

Marc Cucurella curves a lovely line-breaker to the onrushing Jackson, who gets on the scoreboard himself after his nifty assists moments earlier.

Jackson has plenty to do as he collects the ball behind the Brighton back line but does what scorers do in smashing a shot past Verbruggen.

4-1. Blues.

It’s 3-1 to the Blues now.

Conor Gallagher’s got the goal, but it’s the quick thinking and quicker feet of Nicolas Jackson that rule over this moment..

Cesare Casadei carves his way into the 18 and slides a left-footed effort that Jackson has to dig out from underneath his frame.

Jackson does that but instead of rushing an effort on goal, he manipulates the tight space to square for Gallagher. The midfielder finishes well.

Mykhailo Mudryk has just flashed across your screen, fellow humans.

The Ukrainian works a very pretty exchange with Nicolas Jackson that leaves Joel Veltman looking for his very being.

Then Mudryk let loose with a shot from just inside the box and Verbruggen has little hope of finding it.

Chelsea has a man advantage and a 2-1 lead. Now Malo Gusto exits for Bashir Humphreys.

Jan Paul van Hecke was feeling himself a little too much, folks.

The 23-year-old Dutchman was playing quite well but had clearly developed a little rivalry with Nkunku.

But it’s Cesare Casadei who draws the red mist out of Van Hecke, who absolute rocks the 20-year-old Italian with a hit that belongs at a Philadelphia Flyers game across the street at the Wells Fargo Center.

Brighton will play a half-hour with 10 men.

More Brighton subs: Out go Billy Gilmour, Danny Welbeck, Adam Webster, and Kaoru Mitoma

In come Steven Alzate, Joao Pedro, Yasin Ayari, Julio Enciso.

We’ve seen more physical play, and Christopher Nkunku’s had enough of being fouled.

Mykhailo Mudryk tries to chip the keeper from an acute angle to no avail, and Brighton goes the other way and Joao Pedro attempts a similar trick that ends in an Enciso sliced effort.

Chelsea brings in Mykhailo Mudryk, Marc Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, and Cesare Casadei.

Out are Thiago Silva, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, and Ian Maatsen.

Brighton introduces Denis Undav, Joel Veltman, Simon Adingra, and new goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen (who is in the No. 1 shirt long worn by Robert Sanchez).

Exiting: Jason Steele, Mahmoud Dahoud, Adam Lallana, and Solly March.

Plenty of talking points for the Chelsea and Brighton supporters as they retreat for concessions.

Welbeck could have a hat trick and he’s worked well with Mitoma on the left side to really challenge Malo Gusto. Jan Paul van Hecke has had some big interventions for the Seagulls as well.

Nkunku, Chukwuemeka, and Sterling have all been active and aggressive. Maatsen and Santos won’t love their halves, while Kepa and the aforementioned Chukwuemeka are your first-half MVPs.

One minor note that could be something, the shiny on Chelsea’s home crest really flashes when caught by the sun or stadium light.

Carney Chukwuemeka is having a game in ball progression, carrying through the midfield and hitting a well-weighted ball to Raheem Sterling on the right.

Sterling slices a very dangerous ball to the heart of the six but Maatsen only get a the edge of his shin on it, and the chance skitters wide of the goal.

At the other end, it’s Welbeck forcing a parry out of Kepa before Mitoma hits a low drive collected by the Basque keeper. A good half for Kepa.

The bright blue crowd behind Kepa’s goal is chanting “Chel-sea, Chel-sea” but Brighton keeps pressuring the right side manned by Malo Gusto to mixed results.

Welbeck’s hustle toward the end line leads to a hopeful but dangerous shot from an acute angle that Kepa pushes off the cross bar to keep it 1-1.

A few minutes later, it’s March who sees a shot saved by Kepa. Adam Lallana is thrilled with Brighton’s press and encouraging his men in black-and-green (Sassuolo vibes, fitting given De Zerbi’s history).

Carney Chukwuemeka and Christopher Nkunku have been busy early and they’re deservedly at the heart of an equalizer.

Chukwuemeka leads a rush before deferring to Ben Chilwell, getting the ball back to work a 1-2 in very close quarters with Andrey Santos — who won’t like where he was on the Brighton goal.

Chukwuekmeka’s effort leads to a scrum in the six, and Nkunku does enough to get it over the line for 1-1. The Chelsea section, admittedly very near the press box, erupts as the Blues go level.

Kaoru Mitoma wins a corner kick and then does the hard work to help Brighton go in front.

A short-played corner leads to a back-post cross. Mitoma rises above Christopher Nkunku to head the ball back across goal. Danny Welbeck is there to lash it past Kepa for 1-0.

Welbeck almost has two moments later but his vicious side volley attempt is blocked and collected by Kepa.

An interesting enough first 10 minutes that featured some good Conor Gallagher work in the middle of the park and one cheeky Kepa Arrizabalaga bit of footwork in his box sees a Chelsea counter open things up.

It’s Carney Chukwuemeka who plays Raheem Sterling into the right of the box, and the Englishman’s close-range shot is denied by Jason Steele.

Chelsea starts Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal with Malo Gusto, Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, and Ben Chilwell across the back. Santos and Connor Gallagher are in the midfield with Raheem Sterling, Carney Chukwuemeka, Christopher Nkunku, and Ian Maatsen leadind the attack.

Maatsen scored twice against Wrexham, and Colwill, of course, starred on loan for Brighton and would be welcomed back. Wesley Fofana’s injury may negate any hopes of that.

Brighton starts Jason Steele in goal with Pascal Gross and Solly March flanking Jan Paul van Hecke and Adam Webster. New addition Mahmoud Dahoud is with Billy Gilmour, while Kaoru Mitoma, Adam Lallana, Danny Welbeck, and Jack Hinshelwood also start.

Turns out you can arrive more than two hours before doors open and four hours before kickoff and still not be close to the first person waiting to see Chelsea and Brighton at Lincoln Financial Field for Day 1 of Premier League Summer Series.

There were hints of this last night on the walk to an event at Comcast Technology Center, where NBC’s Rebecca Lowe, Tim Howard, and Robbie Earle spoke with Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi and Pascal Gross as well as Chelsea’s Mauricio Pochettino and Trevoh Chalobah.

But the line outside the stadium, heavy with Chelsea blue and reaching for some distance, told us the relative calm of the stadium prior to warm-ups is sure to be very, very brief.

Chelsea vs Brighton how to watch live

Kickoff: 7pm ET Saturday
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
TV Channel/Stream: Premier League Summer Series on Peacock

Issue welcomes to the world of De Zerbi for Watford star Joao Pedro as well as Anderlecht goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. The club added two veteran free transfers in longtime Liverpool and Man City servant James Milner, as well as Dortmund’s Mahmoud Dahoud.

The most notable exit by far, so far, is Alexis Mac Allister. He’s now with Liverpool. Brighton is hoping to hang onto Moises Caicedo, having so far withstood advances from Chelsea amid rumored interest from any number of sources. Robert Sanchez looks likely to leave, still unhappy with losing his No. 1 job to Jason Steele, and will not feature on the tour.

Ian Maatsen isn’t a new face, so to speak, but he’s back from his latest loan — a star turn for Burnley — and bagged a brace against Wrexham. The same can be said for Levi Colwill, who shined for Brighton on loan last season and now could feature plenty now that Wesley Fofana has suffered a torn ACL. The left winger is joined by Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson as players set to revitalize the Chelsea attack. View the Chelsea tour squad — which includes American goalkeeper Gaga Slonina — here.

The Chelsea revolution continues for Todd Boehly, now under the eye of Mauricio Pochettino. In terms of intra-Premier League moves, Kai Havertz is off to Arsenal, Mason Mount’s gone to Man United, and Mateo Kovacic to Manchester City, while (inhales deeply) N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Christian Pulisic are gone on permament deals. David Dutro Fofana has been loaned to Atletico Madrid.