Chelsea Beat Fulham 3-2 to Give Xabi Alonso a Winning Premier League Debut

Chelsea began the Xabi Alonso era with a thrilling 3-2 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday night, with Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer all on the scoresheet in a west London derby that lived up to its billing.

Pedro set the tone inside the first minute, latching onto a clever flicked pass from Palmer and lifting a fine finish over Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno after just 31 seconds. Fulham hit back through Josh King, whose effort squirmed through goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, before club-record signing Morgan Rogers restored Chelsea's lead on his debut just before half-time, sweeping home a low cross from fellow debutant Maxence Lacroix. Palmer added a third early in the second half, finishing off a slick move involving Rogers and Pedro, only for Fulham to pull one back almost immediately through Gonzalo Garcia, who headed home after Sanchez could only parry a low Timothy Castagne strike.

Chelsea held on through a nervy finish to seal the win, giving Xabi Alonso a perfect start to life as Chelsea head coach in what was also a reunion of sorts, with Alonso outdoing former Real Madrid teammate and now Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa on the touchline. Rogers, who arrived from Aston Villa this summer to become the most expensive British player in history, impressed alongside close friend Palmer, who looked determined to bounce back from a difficult previous campaign that saw him miss out on England's World Cup squad.

Alonso did have to make do without a couple of key names for the trip to Craven Cottage, with Marco Palestra and Moises Caicedo both missing out through minor fitness setbacks. Despite their absence, Chelsea's front three took the headlines on a dramatic opening night, giving the new head coach reason for optimism as he looks to lead the club back into contention following a difficult 10th-place finish last season.