All of the Chelsea title contenders are still alive following a harrowing 4-3 win over Brighton at Stamford Bridge, but a lot of problems have been revealed that a new keeper won’t fix. The arrival of Emanuel could not come at a better time for the Welsh club as it was just hours after they officially announced his deal from Aston Villa – and the Argentina international was straight onto the field with experience, personality and authority. But the three goals and the four goal lead they gave up made it clear that Xabi Alonso has a lot more to do if Chelsea are serious about threatening the Premier League for first place.

Martinez wasn’t given chance to influence a team after just one full training session with his new team-mates before he was shunted into the starting XI. For someone to appear comfortable in unusual circumstances is no mean feat, especially for someone who didn’t score Brighton’s three goals. It was also a big move from Robert Sanchez’s series of performances with the stakes on the table against Fulham where the goalkeeper was given much criticism for his involvement in the goals admitted by his team.

For one thing, Martinez is the first player to bring experience to the house when Chelsea is in desperate need.For one thing, it’s the first so experienced a player to bring to the palace side. The 33-year-old, previously just 22 when he won his maiden World Cup with Argentina, has recently been rewarded with the Europa League with Aston Villa and two FIFA Best Goalkeeper medals. His presence seems to have impressed Alonso as well, and he thinks this can have an impact on the players around him.

It is no surprise that it is Martinez himself who was fast to see the bigger picture in finding what needs to be better at Chelsea. Following the win in Brighton he extolled the attacking witnesses, though said the side needed to cut down on the number of goals they are allowing. The statistics highlight just how serious the problem is, but that shouldn’t be surprising.

It has been a good level of attacking return for Chelsea with two league games in which they’ve scored seven goals. Meanwhile, they have conceded five, are now 18 matches without a shutout. It’s the longest streak they choose not to shut out an opponent in the last century, dating back to the 60s.

But the real worry for Alonso might not be the goal keeper. Chelsea had a poor game in ball ownership against Brighton as they only managed to hold the ball for 25.9%. They managed only 146 passes, the fewest since they opened the season’s Premier League match against Sunderland in Sunderland’s lead-up to the game.This was their lowest number of passes since the introduction of the Premier League in 2003-04.

Those numbers can’t be ignored for a team with an eye on the top of the table. A goalkeeper can save, organise and lead his defence but he can’t replace midfielders whose job is a lackadaisical one.

That has now become even more complicated thanks to the absence of Enzo Fernandez. Unfortunately, yet for the second consecutive game, Fernandez missed him last match as Manchester City was reportedly interested, especially as a move could cost over £120m. In the meantime, Moises Caicedo’s fitness was also a concern as he was pushed of after just 11 minutes came off.

That meant a unique midfield set up for Chelsea. Injured star Jordan Henderson was unavailable, and Mo Malo Gusto, Romeo Lavia were the ones who operated at the center. Apparently Barco was also not trusted to get onto the pitch to start a Premier League game yet.

There was a lack of protection in front of the defence which was a factor in why Chelsea found themselves exposed. Alonso was also forced to travel forward to a back four as opposed to the front four, leaving Wesley Fofana, Maxence Lacroix and Levi Colwill vulnerable in spots throughout his time out on the park.

There’s also a set-work issue. If Chelsea are to have ambitions of competing with the Premier League’s best, they simply can’t provide repeated opportunities from dead ball scenarios. They were frequently up against a grinder against Brighton and when they were in control the Nelson Reds proved to be a challenge.

There are, however, lots of reasons to withhold my complaint. The attack looks threatening with Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro able to create and finish chances. Chelsea don’t just score goals at the rate that wins matches, they also manage to make them at times when they fail to defend themselves adequately.

Now, what is in question is whether this formula can last for an entire season.

Chelsea were close to paying the price for losing control against Brighton once they’ve established a three-goal cushion. Those moments may come at a much greater expense in the event they were facing more formidable opponents, as in the case of any of the other teams that were competing more directly for the championship.

Martinez can definitely come to the rescue. He is expected to make Chelsea defensively more consistent with his communication, experience and mind and in addition will provide a much needed sure bet in between the posts in the penalty box. However, there is no expectation that he will revolutionise the defence in one day.

Last but not least, it’s the balance that Alonso must strike between attacking firepower and defence that will be demanded from him. Preliminary results are promising, with the team having posted league win after league victory but that’s not enough for title contenders. They require consistency, control and they must be able to close a game down from the opposition.

Chelsea are good enough to play the up-tackling game this season. Martinez will be plugging the final bulge but for Alonso to have any hope of making Chelsea a downbeat Premier League contender, things really have to get better from the back to the midfield.

The victories are still to come. The objectives are being reached. The problem for Chelsea now is to learn how to play games.

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