Chelsea attack was one of the biggest positives from the 3-2 win over Fulham. João Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer all found the net, giving Xabi Alonso plenty of reason to be encouraged in his first game in charge. Chelsea’s attack is already good enough to win games. Chelsea’s defence is the reason a routine victory turned into a stressful one, and it’s the bigger story from Craven Cottage.
Pedro set the tone inside the first minute, latching onto a Palmer through-ball to open the scoring after just 31 seconds. It was the earliest goal in Premier League season-opener history. Rogers, making his debut, doubled the lead before halftime with a simple finish off Maxence Lacroix’s square ball. Palmer then added a third early in the second half, running onto another pass from Pedro to squeeze a shot through Bernd Leno’s legs.
Three different scorers in one half of football is a promising sign for any new manager. Ahead of the game, Alonso had already described Palmer as “world class,” telling reporters he believed Palmer’s injury troubles from last season were behind him. That confidence showed up directly in the numbers. Palmer finished the match with the most completed dribbles, the most shots and three chances created, on top of a goal and an assist.
Pedro scored and assisted. Palmer scored and assisted. Rogers scored on debut. Lacroix, a new signing at center-back, also picked up an assist on his first appearance. That kind of shared output across multiple positions gives Alonso several ways to hurt an opponent, rather than a single focal point defenses can simply plan around. It’s a notable response in particular from Palmer, who wasn’t included in England’s World Cup squad over the summer and looked like a player with something to prove.
Both Fulham goals traced back to the same defensive breakdown. Fulham’s Jorge Cuenca played a long ball into the Chelsea box that Levi Colwill failed to deal with, allowing Timothy Castagne a first-time shot. Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez then let that effort in at his near post for Josh King’s equalizer. He later spilled a near-identical shot from Castagne straight into the path of Gonzalo García for Fulham’s second. Chelsea conceded from the same pattern twice inside one half: a long ball over the top, a recoverable Fulham effort, and a Sánchez error turning it into a goal.
That’s a specific, repeatable problem rather than a vague sense of vulnerability. Chelsea played a 3-4-2-1 shape with Colwill, Lacroix and Josh Acheampong across the back three, and neither the back three nor Sánchez dealt convincingly with direct balls played in behind. Chelsea were also missing Moises Caicedo, their usual defensive midfield shield, which left Roméo Lavia and Jorrel Hato with more defensive responsibility than either is used to carrying alone. Question marks over Sánchez’s long-term status as Chelsea’s No. 1 aren’t new, and Monday did nothing to settle them.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham deserve credit here too. Sky Sports’ report on the game noted that Fulham looked determined to play on the front foot regardless of opponent under their new manager. That approach directly created both goals, rather than Chelsea simply being punished for isolated individual mistakes. A defense that struggles against a team committed to playing forward quickly is one that will be tested repeatedly across a 38-game season.
Chelsea’s attacking quality isn’t in question after Monday. The issue sitting underneath the result is defensive, and it’s specific: a back three exposed by direct balls in behind, and a goalkeeper whose recent form doesn’t inspire confidence. Alonso doesn’t need to change how Chelsea attack going forward. The star needs a defense that doesn’t concede the same way twice in one half. Fulham’s route to two goals will be even more available to sharper opponents later in the season.
Chelsea host Brighton next in front of their own fans, a fixture that will offer an early read on whether Monday’s pattern was opening-day rust or something more persistent. A win covers up plenty in August. It tends to cover up a lot less by November.
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