Palmer, Pedro, Rogers shine as Xabi Alonso begins Chelsea era with Fulham win

Xabi Alonso began his Chelsea reign with a 3-2 victory over Fulham, with Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers providing the goals in an entertaining London derby.

Xabi Alonso began his Premier League tenure as Chelsea manager with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage, although the three points came alongside further questions about the Blues’ defensive reliability.

Chelsea needed only 31 seconds to take the lead, with Joao Pedro finishing after being released by Cole Palmer in a lightning-fast move.

Fulham gradually found their rhythm and Josh King brought the hosts level, but Chelsea responded before the break when Morgan Rogers marked his competitive debut with a composed finish.

Palmer then produced another decisive contribution early in the second half, combining with Chelsea’s new attacking options before finding the net to restore a two-goal advantage.

Fulham refused to disappear from the contest and Gonzalo Garcia pulled one back, setting up a tense final spell as Chelsea struggled to completely control the game.

The result nevertheless handed Alonso an important opening victory and provided an early glimpse of the attacking football he wants to establish at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer was particularly influential, while Rogers and Joao Pedro also made immediate impacts in an attacking trio that showed plenty of promise.

Chelsea’s defensive lapses, however, prevented the visitors from enjoying a more comfortable evening and goalkeeper Robert Sanchez endured another difficult outing.

Alonso can therefore celebrate a winning competitive debut while recognising that there is still considerable work to do at the back.

With Chelsea having invested heavily during the summer, the early challenge for the Spaniard will be finding greater balance between the attacking freedom displayed at Fulham and the defensive discipline required to compete consistently at the top end of the Premier League.