Chelsea began Xabi Alonso’s tenure with a dramatic 3-2 victory away to Fulham at Craven Cottage, with Joao Pedro scoring after just 31 seconds to set a new record for the fastest goal in the opening round of a Premier League season.
The result gave Spanish manager Alonso his first win in charge of Chelsea and three points at the start of their league campaign. It was also Alvaro Arbeloa’s first Premier League defeat as Fulham manager.
Chelsea made the perfect start when Joao Pedro opened the scoring before a minute had been played. The Brazilian forward was played through by Cole Palmer, took the ball into the penalty area and lifted an excellent finish over the advancing Fulham goalkeeper.
According to Opta, Joao Pedro’s goal came after 31 seconds, making it the quickest scored in the history of the opening round of the Premier League.
Fulham recovered from that early setback and levelled in the 23rd minute. Josh King received the ball from Castagne inside the Chelsea penalty area before firing a powerful shot beyond the visiting goalkeeper to make it 1-1.
The hosts’ equaliser briefly shifted the momentum, but Chelsea restored their advantage shortly before half-time. The move began with another pass from Palmer, who found Maxence Lacroix. The defender carried the ball into the penalty area and delivered a cross towards the front of goal, where Morgan Rogers arrived to finish from close range.
Chelsea then extended their lead four minutes after the restart. Joao Pedro turned provider this time, sending a through ball into the area for Palmer, who struck a powerful shot that Fulham’s goalkeeper could not keep out.
That gave Chelsea a 3-1 advantage, but Fulham responded quickly and set up a tense final period. In the 54th minute, a strong effort from a Fulham player was saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Sanchez, only for the rebound to fall to Gonzalo Garcia.
Garcia reacted first and headed the loose ball into the net from close range, scoring his first goal for Fulham and reducing the deficit to 3-2.
Fulham pushed for another equaliser during the remaining minutes, while Chelsea were forced to defend their narrow lead. Alonso’s side held on, however, securing an important victory in their first Premier League match under the former Spain international.
The win marks a positive beginning for Alonso at Chelsea, while Fulham must recover from a match in which they conceded inside the opening minute before twice fighting back to keep the contest alive.
