Three games in, Chelsea is having fun again

It's early days but the joy of football appears to have returned to Stamford Bridge.

After two Premier League victories and a League Cup win during the past week, Chelsea players look like they are having fun, despite some nervy moments in defense.

Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer, who spent much of last season struggling for form and battling injury, scored a sumptuous fourth goal in Chelsea's frenetic 4-3 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday, and his broad grin matched the mood of the team and the stadium.

The London side produced some glorious, flowing attacking football to race into a 3-0 lead just 32 minutes into the game, with goals from Romeo Lavia, his first for the club he joined in 2023, Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro.

It was such a contrast from last spring, when heads were down and fans subdued. Palmer and Pedro, who had been considered shoo-ins to play at the World Cup earlier in the season, failed to make it into the England and Brazil squads, respectively, for the tournament.

On Sunday Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti sat beside England coach Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge, and both former Chelsea bosses watched their international hopefuls' demeanor transformed.

Chelsea finished 10th last season after coach Enzo Maresca left on New Year's Day and his successor Liam Rosenior lasted less than four months. It limped to the end of the season and an FA Cup final defeat under interim coach Calum McFarlane.

But the appointment of former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who managed Leverkusen and Real Madrid, has breathed new life into the squad, reinforced by some shrewd signings such as forward Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, who scored in Chelsea's 3-2 season opener at Fulham last Monday and produced an assist for Neto on Sunday.

Pumped-up fans sang Alonso's name on Sunday after unfurling a banner proclaiming that he was "Not Too Xabi".

And they have every reason to be happy. It's the first time in eight years that the team has started the domestic season with three consecutive wins. The last time was under Maurizio Sarri in 2018-19, with three Premier League victories. In 2016-17, under Antonio Conte, the team also started the season with two league wins and a League Cup victory.