Xabi Alonso began his Chelsea reign with a 3-2 victory over Fulham in a thrilling west London derby at Craven Cottage on Monday.
Joao Pedro gave Chelsea the perfect start, scoring after just 31 seconds following a clever pass from Cole Palmer. Fulham levelled through Josh King in the 23rd minute, but Morgan Rogers restored Chelsea’s lead four minutes before half-time with a goal on his debut.
Rogers joined Chelsea from Aston Villa in a British-record £117 million deal and quickly made his mark, finishing a move involving Palmer and new defender Maxence Lacroix.
Palmer then extended Chelsea’s advantage four minutes into the second half, completing an impressive display from the visitors’ attacking trio.
Fulham reduced the deficit in the 54th minute when Gonzalo Garcia headed in after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez spilled Timothy Castagne’s effort.
Chelsea survived late pressure to secure all three points and give Alonso a winning start in his first competitive match in charge.
The result also offered encouragement from Chelsea’s attack, with Pedro, Palmer and Rogers all finding the net. However, Sanchez’s errors and defensive lapses will remain a concern for Alonso as he begins rebuilding the club.
The victory came against Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa, Alonso’s former Real Madrid and Spain teammate.
