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It looked like being a routine outing for the Blues when Romeo Lavia, Pedro Neto and Joao Pedro struck to put them 3-0 up inside 32 minutes.

But former Brighton striker Joao Pedro also scored at the wrong end after a sumptuous volley from Malick Yalcouye, as Brighton threatened a stunning comeback.

Palmer gave Chelsea breathing room once more when he found the bottom-left corner in trademark fashion, though, and Pascal Gross's header came too late for Brighton as the host made it two wins from two league games under Alonso.

Chelsea had only needed 31 seconds to make the breakthrough in their win over Fulham, and though they had to wait a little longer, another fast start left Brighton stunned.

Lavia was on hand to tap home in the fourth minute after Mats Wieffer nodded Joao Pedro's header off the line, and only 10 minutes later, Neto met Morgan Rogers' left-sided centre with a first-time finish.

Joao Pedro – who was jeered by the away fans throughout – missed a glorious chance to make it 3-0 when he stroked wide with time and space inside the area, but he celebrated in front of his former supporters when he took in Jorrel Hato's pass and finished soon after.

Emiliano Martinez's first test in the Chelsea net was to catch Yalcouye's effort on the stretch, but his hopes of a clean sheet were dashed when the former Swansea City loanee hammered a volley in off the post, on the rebound from Charalampos Kostoulas' saved lob.

Huge chances came and went at both ends early in the second half. Diego Gomez headed wide after being left unmarked from Olivier Boscagli's free-kick, while Palmer could not keep his shot down when Rogers dug out a cross to find him in front of an unguarded net.

Brighton had renewed hope when Gross beat the offside trap following a recycled set-piece and crossed low, with a flick off Joao Pedro catching out Martinez, and the former Aston Villa goalkeeper then had to be alert to push Boscagli's drive to safety.

But Palmer eased Chelsea's nerves with a marauding run and finish in the 74th minute, and there was hardly time for the game to restart after Gross's late header.