Chelsea beat Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage on Monday evening, with Xabi Alonso making a dream debut as the Blues edged the West London rivals. Joao Pedro opened the scoring just 30 seconds in, while Morgan Rogers, the £117m signing, netted before halftime and Cole Palmer added a third. Fulham’s Gonzalo Garcia also scored on his debut.
The match was a five-goal thriller that began with Pedro’s blistering start. A simple ball from the back split the Fulham defence, with Cole Palmer playing Pedro through. The former Brighton striker lifted the ball over goalkeeper Bernd Leno to give Chelsea an early 1-0 lead. Fulham answered through Josh King, who, after a run into the penalty area, fired a shot that slipped past Sanchez’s hands and into the net, making it 1-1.
Chelsea regained the advantage just before the break. Morgan Rogers, who joined the club for £117 million, received a well-placed cross from Palmer’s play that drew Leno into a challenge. Rogers tapped the ball home to make it 2-1. The goal sparked a debate in the dressing room about whose celebration it truly belonged to.
After the restart, Palmer returned to his best form. Pedro held the ball up and waited for Palmer’s overlapping run. The ex-Manchester City midfielder finished coolly between Leno’s legs, extending the lead to 3-1. Fulham’s Gonzalo Garcia, on his debut, struck a late goal to reduce the deficit to 3-2.
The game was also significant for the managers. Xabi Alonso, in his first Premier League match in charge, faced former teammate Alvaro Arbeloa, who had managed Fulham the previous season. Their shared history at Liverpool and Real Madrid added a narrative layer to the encounter.
Chelsea’s performance highlighted a potential weakness in goalkeeping. Robert Sanchez made several clangers, including the goal-keeping error that allowed King’s opener and a later misjudgement that let Garcia’s shot slip through.
The match ended 3-2 in favour of Chelsea, setting a positive tone for the new season and giving Alonso a memorable debut. The Blues will look to build on this momentum while addressing the defensive lapses exposed by Sanchez.
