Chelsea began Xabi Alonso’s reign with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Fulham, with debutant Morgan Rogers scoring and Cole Palmer producing an influential performance.
The Blues made Premier League history by scoring the earliest goal of a season, taking the lead after only 35 seconds. Joao Pedro collected a perfectly weighted through-ball from Palmer before finishing to give Chelsea an immediate advantage.
Palmer was central to much of Chelsea’s attacking play throughout the match. The England forward appeared to be back to his best, having not been selected in England’s World Cup squad, and played a significant role in the move that produced the visitors’ second goal.
Maxence Lacroix supplied the decisive ball across the area, allowing Rogers to arrive and score a simple tap-in on his Chelsea debut. The goal gave Alonso’s side greater control of the contest, although Fulham continued to threaten at the other end.
Palmer had already gone close on two occasions before restoring Chelsea’s two-goal advantage. Joao Pedro’s pass sent him through, and Palmer managed to force his effort between Bernd Leno’s legs to make it 3-1.
Chelsea’s attacking display will have pleased Alonso in his first match in charge, but their defensive performance offered considerably more concern. Robert Sanchez was beaten at his near post by a powerful drive from Josh King, despite the Chelsea goalkeeper having appeared well placed to deal with the effort.
Sanchez was at the centre of Fulham’s second goal as well. He pushed Timothy Castagne’s effort directly into the path of another debutant, Gonzalo Garcia, who finished the chance and ensured the hosts remained in contention.
Fulham’s response made for a tense finish, but Chelsea held on to secure all three points in a five-goal match. The result also highlighted the contrast in Alonso’s new side: Chelsea looked capable of producing exhilarating football in attack, while mistakes at the back kept Fulham within reach.
Further changes are expected at Chelsea over the next week. The club will need to strengthen both its goalkeeping and defensive options if it is to mount a challenge for the title, but the early evidence suggests Alonso’s team could be among the most entertaining sides in the Premier League this season.
Rogers’ goal provided an ideal start to his Chelsea career, while Palmer’s contribution underlined his importance to the team. Joao Pedro combined an early finish with an assist for Palmer’s goal, and Chelsea ultimately had enough attacking quality to overcome the defensive errors that threatened to undermine Alonso’s debut.
