Chelsea began the Xabi Alonso era with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Fulham in their Premier League opener at Craven Cottage.
The match produced five goals, with Chelsea's new attacking trio of João Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer all finding the net. The result gives Alonso a winning start in his first Premier League match in charge of Chelsea.
João Pedro Strikes Inside 31 Seconds
Chelsea made the perfect start when João Pedro scored just 31 seconds into the match.
The early goal set the tone for an entertaining London derby, with Chelsea looking dangerous in attack and Fulham responding with pressure of their own.
Fulham eventually found their equaliser through Josh King, bringing the hosts back into the contest.
Rogers Scores on Chelsea Debut
Chelsea regained the lead through Morgan Rogers, who marked his competitive debut for the club with a goal.
Rogers arrived at Chelsea from Aston Villa for a reported British-record fee of £117 million and immediately made an impact for his new team.
The forward combined well with João Pedro and Palmer as Chelsea's attacking players repeatedly created problems for Fulham's defence.
Palmer Adds Chelsea's Third
Cole Palmer then extended Chelsea's advantage after the break.
Palmer had an important role throughout the match, assisting João Pedro's opener before getting on the scoresheet himself. His performance offered Chelsea fans an encouraging sign after an injury-hit previous season.
Chelsea continued to look dangerous in attack, creating several opportunities as they looked to put the game beyond Fulham.
Fulham Fight Back Again
Fulham refused to give up and reduced the deficit through Gonzalo García, who scored on his Premier League debut.
The hosts continued pushing for an equaliser and came close late in the match, but Chelsea held on to secure all three points.
Alonso Gets Winning Start
The victory gives Alonso an ideal start to his Chelsea tenure, although the five-goal thriller also showed areas his team will need to improve defensively.
For Chelsea, the biggest positives were the performances of João Pedro, Rogers and Palmer. The attacking trio provided goals, creativity and movement throughout the match, giving supporters plenty of reason for optimism at the beginning of the new campaign.
Chelsea now move forward with three points from their opening Premier League match, while Fulham will look to respond in their next fixture.
Final Score: Fulham 2-3 Chelsea
