Cole Palmer delivered a dazzling individual performance as Chelsea kicked off the Xabi Alonso era with a pulsating 3-2 triumph over Fulham at Craven Cottage on the Premier League’s opening weekend.
The 24-year-old was at the heart of everything positive for the visitors, teeing up Joao Pedro’s goal after just 31 seconds before netting the decisive third himself with a clinical strike between Bernd Leno’s legs.
It was the ideal start for Alonso, whose appointment had raised expectations at Stamford Bridge following a turbulent 2025-26 campaign that saw two permanent managers and an interim boss come and go.
Chelsea’s record summer acquisition Morgan Rogers also found the net on his league debut, though the evening was far from straightforward.
Cole Palmer was back to his best after providing a goal and an assist in a man-of-the-match display
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Robert Sanchez’s shaky display in goal ensured Fulham remained in contention throughout a breathless west London derby.
The dream opening arrived almost immediately. Lacroix’s defensive header fell to Palmer, who played a first-time pass into the path of Pedro, and the Brazilian produced a superb chip over Leno to make it 1-0 with barely half a minute on the clock.
Chelsea’s attacking trio continued to threaten, but the hosts grew into the contest. Teenage midfielder Josh King drew the sides level with a fierce strike that flew past Sanchez at his near post, the goalkeeper’s weak attempt to keep it out drawing groans from the travelling support.
Rogers had been partly culpable for the equaliser, failing to track King’s run, but the club’s marquee summer signing made amends before the interval.
Palmer picked out Lacroix with an inventive pass, and the centre-back drove past Jorge Cuenca before delivering a precise cutback that Rogers side-footed home to restore Chelsea’s advantage.
Palmer raised his game further after the restart. A mesmeric dribble deserved a goal but his finish let him down; he would not be so wasteful with his next opportunity.
Morgan Rogers scored on his Premier League debut for Chelsea after his £117million move
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Pedro embarked on a surging counter-attack from deep inside his own half, waiting for his teammate to arrive in support. Palmer, wearing the number 10 shirt, took aim from a tight angle and threaded his shot through Leno’s legs to make it 3-1.
Chelsea nearly added a fourth moments later when Jorrel Hato burst forward and delivered a cross, only for Antonee Robinson to intervene and deny Rogers a second.
The front three’s combined output — a goal apiece — underlined their potential as the most potent attacking combination in the division. Palmer was virtually impossible to contain at times, orchestrating moves and finishing them with equal authority.
Fulham refused to go quietly, however, and Sanchez’s erratic performance gave them every encouragement.
Levi Colwill misjudged a cross into the box, and when Timothy Castagne’s effort was parried by the Chelsea keeper, the ball rebounded directly onto the head of Gonzalo Garcia, who nodded in from point-blank range to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Garcia, a summer arrival from Real Madrid, could scarcely have known much about his first Fulham goal, but it breathed fresh life into Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
Sanchez had already alarmed his own fans earlier by allowing a backpass to roll out for a corner and producing an unconvincing stop from King. His positioning for the equaliser appeared suspect, and the feeble save compounded the error.
Fulham teenager Josh King scored a fine equaliser, though questions will be asked of Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez
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Colwill’s difficulties were not confined to the Garcia goal either; the normally dependable defender had been cautioned in the first half after losing possession to Oscar Bobb.
Enzo Fernandez’s arrival as a second-half substitute intensified the hostile atmosphere. The Argentine, along with compatriot Valentin Barco, had already been jeered by the home crowd, but his introduction in place of Romeo Lavia with 25 minutes remaining provoked a torrent of abuse from the Fulham faithful.
Some Chelsea supporters responded by chanting his name, despite widespread awareness of his desire to move to Manchester City before the transfer window closes.
Enzo Fernandez came in for stick from the Fulham fans
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Fulham pressed hard for a leveller in the closing stages. King pulled a shot wide of the right-hand post, while Robinson beat Reece James for pace but fired over the bar. Sanchez was required to repel an attempt from substitute Ryan Sessegnon, and Pedro had a late strike chalked off for offside.
Chelsea held firm, securing their first opening-day league victory since the 2022-23 season.
