Chelsea beat Fulham 3-2 in Alonsos debut as 117m Rogers scores on first outing

Chelsea began the Premier League season with a 3-2 win over west London rivals Fulham on Monday, as new manager Xabi Alonso secured a victory in his competitive debut.
João Pedro opened the scoring for Chelsea after 31 seconds, capitalizing on a pass from Cole Palmer to lift the ball over Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Josh King equalized for Fulham midway through the first half, but Morgan Rogers, making his debut after a club-record £117 million move from Aston Villa, restored Chelsea’s lead four minutes before halftime with a close-range finish. Palmer extended the advantage to 3-1 early in the second half, slotting home from a tight angle after a pass from João Pedro. Fulham pulled a goal back when Gonzalo García headed in after Robert Sánchez parried Timothy Castagne’s shot, but Chelsea held on.
The match marked the first competitive outing for both Alonso and Fulham’s new manager, Álvaro Arbeloa, former Real Madrid players now leading their respective clubs. Chelsea’s attacking display was led by Palmer, Rogers, and João Pedro, all of whom scored. However, defensive issues persisted, with Sánchez’s errors contributing to Fulham’s goals. Alonso acknowledged the need for improvement across all lines, stating, “We need to accept and learn from them. This is going to be a process. All the lines, from the strikers, the midfielders, the defence, the goalkeepers, we want to do better in everything” .
Chelsea’s summer spending exceeded €409 million, including the €134 million acquisition of Rogers, as the club aims to challenge defending champions Arsenal. The victory at Craven Cottage came despite ongoing defensive vulnerabilities, with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher noting on Sky Sports that Chelsea’s front three are “as good as anything in the Premier League right now” but adding, “they will never win the league with Sánchez in goal” .
Fulham’s Gonzalo García scored his first goal for the club, while César Palacios started and delivered a strong performance before being substituted late in the game. Enzo Fernández, whose future at Chelsea remains uncertain, played the final 15 minutes and was booed by the away supporters.
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