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Chelsea won 3-2 at Craven Cottage in Xabi Alonso’s first match in charge, Joao Pedro scoring after 35 seconds — the earliest goal in a Premier League season opener. Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer added the others, with Palmer involved in all three. Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia capitalised on errors from Robert Sanchez to keep Fulham in it.
London, England: Xabi Alonso had been a Premier League manager for thirty-five seconds when his side went ahead.
Cole Palmer slid a through ball, Joao Pedro ran onto it and lifted a finish over Bernd Leno, and the record for the earliest goal in a Premier League season opener changed hands before Craven Cottage had settled. What followed was chaotic, occasionally alarming for the visitors, and ultimately a winning start.
Palmer, Involved in Everything
Palmer was the game’s outstanding player, and he had a hand in all three Chelsea goals.
After setting up the opener, he was involved in the build-up to the second — a tap-in for debutant Morgan Rogers from Maxence Lacroix’s square ball on 41 minutes. Four minutes into the second half he got his own, running onto Joao Pedro’s pass and squeezing a shot through Leno’s legs.
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It was a performance that carried an edge, given Palmer was left out of England’s World Cup squad this summer. The concern for Alonso is that he later came off injured.
Sanchez Gives Fulham Their Way Back
Chelsea’s problems were all at the other end, and they were self-inflicted.
Josh King pulled a goal back in the 23rd minute after an error from Robert Sanchez, and on 54 the goalkeeper spilled a Timothy Castagne shot for Gonzalo Garcia to score on his Premier League debut. Two goals, two mistakes, and a two-goal cushion reduced to one with more than half an hour remaining.
Fulham pressed hard for the equaliser. Sanchez charged from his line to deny Antonee Robinson, who got there first but could not guide his chip in. Ryan Sessegnon looped the ball over Josh Acheampong and could only fire at the Spaniard. Joao Pedro had the ball in the net again late on, correctly ruled out for offside.
Chelsea held. The defensive vulnerabilities that have troubled them in previous seasons were on show again, and Alonso will have left with as many questions as answers.
Two Debutants, Two Old Teammates
Both managers were taking charge of a Premier League match for the first time, and they know each other well. Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa played 46 league games together for Liverpool between 2007 and 2009, losing only four.
Alonso, 44, arrives at Stamford Bridge after building his reputation at Bayer Leverkusen and a subsequent spell at Real Madrid. Arbeloa’s new-look Fulham struggled defensively but looked a genuine threat going forward, and there was plenty in the performance for him to build on.
Rogers and Garcia both marked their debuts with goals.
An Opening-Day Pattern Continues
Fulham began a Premier League season with a London derby for the fourth time, and lost for the fourth time — after defeats to Arsenal in 2007-08 and 2020-21 and Crystal Palace in 2018-19.
The result closes the opening round of the 2026-27 season, which produced a shock at the MKM Stadium where promoted Hull City beat Manchester United 2-0, and a 3-0 win for defending champions Arsenal over Coventry.
Score: Fulham 2 (Josh King 23′, Gonzalo Garcia 54′) Chelsea 3 (Joao Pedro 1′, Morgan Rogers 41′, Cole Palmer 49′)
Venue: Craven Cottage, London
