Chelsea began the Xabi Alonso era with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Fulham in a thrilling West London derby at Craven Cottage on Monday night.

The Premier League opener produced five goals as Chelsea’s new attacking trio of João Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer all found the net to give Alonso a winning start in his first competitive match as manager. Blueprint reports

Fulham twice threatened to fight back after falling behind, but Chelsea held on to secure all three points in a frantic encounter.

Chelsea make flying start

Chelsea needed just 31 seconds to open the scoring, with João Pedro giving the visitors the perfect start.

Cole Palmer released the Brazilian forward behind the Fulham defence, and João Pedro kept his composure to lift the ball over goalkeeper Bernd Leno and put Chelsea ahead.

The goal set the tone for an open contest, with Chelsea showing considerable attacking threat during the opening stages.

Fulham gradually settled into the game and eventually found an equaliser in the 23rd minute through Josh King.

King’s effort exposed Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, who was unable to keep the shot out as Fulham restored parity.

The equaliser gave the hosts renewed confidence, but Chelsea continued to create opportunities.

Rogers restores Chelsea lead

Chelsea regained the advantage shortly before half-time through Morgan Rogers.

After good work from debutant Maxence Lacroix, Rogers finished the move to score on his competitive debut for Chelsea.

The goal gave Alonso’s side a 2-1 lead going into the interval and ensured Chelsea remained in control despite Fulham’s spirited response.

Rogers, who joined Chelsea from Aston Villa in a major summer transfer, immediately made his mark in the new campaign.

Palmer strikes again

Chelsea extended their lead shortly after the restart, with Palmer adding a third goal in the 49th minute.

João Pedro held the ball up inside the Fulham penalty area before combining with Rogers to create the opportunity.

Palmer arrived at the right moment and finished between Leno’s legs to make it 3-1.

The goal capped an impressive performance from the England international, who also provided the assist for Chelsea’s early opener.

Fulham fight back

Fulham refused to surrender and quickly reduced the deficit through Gonzalo García.

The Fulham debutant reacted quickest after Sánchez had saved an effort from Timothy Castagne, heading the rebound into the net to make it 3-2.

The goal transformed the final stages of the match as Fulham increased the pressure in search of an equaliser.

Chelsea’s defensive vulnerabilities were exposed repeatedly, with Sánchez again called into action as the hosts pushed forward.

Antonee Robinson missed a huge opportunity to level the scores after Sánchez had been caught away from his goal, while the Chelsea goalkeeper later made an important save to deny Ryan Sessegnon.

Alonso gets winning start

Despite the late pressure, Chelsea held on to secure a valuable opening-day victory.

The result handed Alonso three points in his first Premier League match in charge of Chelsea and provided an early indication of the attacking potential available to the Spanish manager.

The performance also highlighted areas Chelsea will need to improve, particularly defensively, if they are to mount a serious challenge at the top end of the Premier League.

Chelsea’s attacking trio of João Pedro, Rogers and Palmer provided the major positives, with all three getting on the scoresheet.

The victory also continued a memorable opening day for João Pedro, whose strike after only 31 seconds was the fastest opening-day goal in Premier League history, according to Reuters.

Fulham left to rue missed chances

For Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa, the defeat represented a disappointing start despite several encouraging moments.

The hosts showed character by recovering from two-goal deficits and created enough opportunities to potentially take something from the match.

However, defensive lapses and missed chances ultimately proved costly.

Chelsea’s victory moved them onto three points from their opening league fixture, while Fulham began their campaign without a point.

The result also ensured that both new Premier League managers experienced contrasting emotions in their first competitive matches in charge.

For Alonso, the priority will now be to build on the victory while addressing Chelsea’s defensive weaknesses.

For Arbeloa and Fulham, the performance offers some encouragement despite the result, particularly given their ability to repeatedly trouble Chelsea after falling behind.

Chelsea will now look to carry the momentum from their opening-day victory into the rest of the 2026/27 campaign.