Alonso: We are preparing for all scenarios and I enjoy victories

Xabi Alonso, Chelsea's head coach, expressed his happiness with the 4-3 victory over Brighton, confirming that the match featured many different emotions and that the team is still in a development phase and needs to continue improving.

Alonso said after the match: "I enjoyed it a lot, and I enjoy all the victories very much. It was a match that saw different emotions, and we are happy with the result and appreciate the win against such a strong opponent. We are in a stage of development, and we must continue to improve."

He added about Pedro Neto's future: "In football, I can't guarantee anything. I was very happy with Pedro's performance. He played with great energy, and he will be very important for us this season."

Alonso addressed the situation regarding Moisés Caicedo, who was injured after coming on as a substitute: "We hope it’s not a new injury and that it’s not worse than the last time. He was cautious and stopped playing; he wasn’t feeling his best, but we need to assess his condition."

On defensive issues and conceding 3 goals: "I would say this is very normal, it happens with many teams. Usually, other teams have played more matches together."

He added: "For me, every statistic must be put into context. After 30 minutes, we were leading 3-0. Statistics are not what matters; what matters is how you play and what you can do better. I never talk about these things; it’s about how you prepare for the match and how you become more competitive."

Chelsea's manager praised the debut of goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, saying: "Emi is a World Cup champion, he is 34 years old, and he has a lot of experience in everything. I spoke with him yesterday, and we discussed the match, and he felt ready; I don't need to tell him much to perform well. He wanted to keep a clean sheet, but I was happy with his initial impact. He has only been at the club for 48 hours, and now he will have a full week to prepare for the next match."

Regarding Enzo Fernández's future, Alonso said: "We are preparing for all scenarios. I can assure you that, no matter what happens, starting Wednesday, we will have a strong enough team to compete in all league matches."