Chelsea opened their 2026/27 Premier League campaign with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage, giving new manager Xabi Alonso a winning start to his league tenure.
The visitors made a blistering start, taking the lead after just one minute through João Pedro, who finished following an assist from Cole Palmer.
Chelsea maintained the pressure and looked dangerous in attack as they sought to extend their advantage, with Palmer playing a central role in the visitors’ attacking moves.
Palmer later provided the assist for Morgan Rogers to restore Chelsea’s lead before finding the net himself to put the Blues 3-1 ahead and cap an impressive individual performance.
Fulham refused to give up, however, as Josh King pulled a goal back to give the hosts renewed hope.
Debutant Gonzalo García added further pressure with another goal as Fulham mounted a late fightback, but Chelsea held on despite sustained pressure from the home side.
The victory handed Alonso a perfect start to his first Premier League campaign as Chelsea manager, while Fulham boss Álvaro Arbeloa will take positives from his team’s attacking response despite the defensive lapses that ultimately proved costly.
The result also avenged Chelsea’s previous defeat at Craven Cottage, where Fulham claimed a 2-1 victory over the Blues in their last meeting in January.
