Xabi Alonso began his Chelsea managerial career with a victory over west London rivals Fulham, though the match exposed both the promise and the problems that may define his early tenure at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea raced into the lead after just 31 seconds when João Pedro converted, a goal that equaled the record for the fastest strike by a Premier League manager in his debut match — a mark previously held by David Unsworth, who scored for Everton against the same opponents under David Moyes in March 2002. It was a fitting start for João Pedro, who had scored eight times in eight pre-season fixtures despite reportedly being told by predecessor Enzo Maresca to worry less about finding the net, advice that preceded a seven-match run without registering a shot.
Cole Palmer was at the heart of everything positive for the hosts, involved in all three of Chelsea's goals on a day when the front line of Palmer, João Pedro and Morgan Rogers showed early signs of a promising rapport. The trio combined for Chelsea's third goal, with Rogers flicking the ball to João Pedro, who held off defenders before teeing up an overlapping Palmer to guide his effort between goalkeeper Bernd Leno's legs.
The second goal arrived through an unlikely source, as right-sided centre-back Maxence Lacroix latched onto a Palmer pass inside the Fulham area. Lacroix showed composure to beat Jorge Cuenca before cutting the ball back for Rogers to net his first goal for the club.
Despite the attacking fluency, Chelsea's defensive frailties and particularly their goalkeeping situation remained evident. Robert Sánchez appeared poorly positioned for Fulham's opener, allowing Josh King to find the net at his near post — with Rogers also failing to track the run effectively. Sánchez was again culpable for Fulham's second, parrying a Timothy Castagne shot straight into the path of Gonzalo García to finish.
Fulham pushed for an equalizer late on, with Antonee Robinson firing over the bar from a promising position and Ryan Sessegnon striking straight at Sánchez from a tight angle. Neither chance was converted, allowing Alonso's side to hold on for the win.
The performance highlighted a significant tactical shift from the approach favored by Maresca. Where the Italian's Chelsea prioritized possession and control, often to a stifling degree, Alonso's system leans into rapid transitions and quick turnovers, producing an end-to-end, high-intensity style of play. While entertaining, this approach carried elements of risk that could prove costly against stronger opposition as the season progresses.
In midfield, Alonso paired Roméo Lavia with Reece James — two players who, despite spending three years together at the club, had never previously featured together in central midfield. The pairing looked physically imposing but struggled at times to assert control, with Fulham enjoying spells of dominance in that area. Moisés Caicedo was left out as a precautionary measure, while Enzo Fernández remained on the bench until the 65th minute amid continued transfer speculation linking him with Manchester City.
Elsewhere, Josh Acheampong impressed with an energetic, all-action display that offered encouragement for the defense moving forward.
Sánchez's continued errors — he was responsible for a league-high five mistakes leading to goals last season and three the year before — underline a longstanding concern about Chelsea's goalkeeping department, an area the club has yet to address despite substantial investment in attacking talent.
Still, for a first outing under new management, there was enough attacking cohesion and tactical intent to suggest Alonso's Chelsea could develop into an entertaining, if occasionally chaotic, side as the campaign unfolds.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.