Same-day debut: Martínez starts for Chelsea against Brighton

Signed, sealed, starting

There is no settling-in period here. No friendly to ease him in, no week on the training ground, no press conference before a debut. Foot Mercato reports Martínez's arrival was confirmed on 30 August and he was immediately named between the posts for a Premier League match. That is not a soft introduction to life at a new club.

The speed of it points to a real problem in Chelsea's goalkeeping options. You don't hand a player his debut on the day he signs unless you need him now, and you don't do it against a Brighton side that has consistently caused top-half clubs problems. Enzo Maresca's team clearly decided Martínez was ready, and that the alternative was not good enough.

What Martínez brings

Martínez is not a gamble. He is a World Cup winner with Argentina, a proven Premier League operator from his time at Aston Villa, and one of the most recognisable goalkeepers in the world. His record at international level is exceptional, and his ability to influence a game from the penalty spot is well documented. Chelsea are not throwing an unknown into a difficult fixture.

That said, same-day debuts carry their own pressure. No time to learn the defensive shape, no reps with the back four in training, no feel for how the centre-backs communicate. Martínez will be working things out in real time against a Brighton team that builds patiently and asks goalkeepers sharp questions about their distribution and positioning.

What the immediate start says about Chelsea's squad

Chelsea's willingness to start Martínez immediately, rather than ease him in, suggests the squad needed this, not just wanted it. Deadline day signings who go straight into the eleven are either a sign of total confidence in the player or a sign that something behind the scenes needed fixing urgently. With Martínez, it is probably both.

How he performs against Brighton will set the tone for his Chelsea career from the very first whistle. There is no quieter way into this story.