Xabi Alonso's first match in charge of Chelsea delivered both encouragement and familiar concern as his side edged Fulham in a five-goal encounter at Craven Cottage, marking the Spaniard's first taste of Premier League management with a victory.
The result showcased the attacking potential Chelsea have assembled, with a front three of Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers looking like a genuine threat throughout. Palmer, eager to prove himself after missing out on World Cup selection following a underwhelming campaign by his standards, combined with Joao Pedro inside the opening minute of play. Rogers, whose arrival cost the club a reported £117million, also justified some of that outlay with a performance that included a goal.
Alonso praised the trio afterward, outlining how central they will be to his vision moving forward. "They are going to be a very important part of the team," he said. "To build [the team] around them, no. To build the team with them. They need to take responsibility, they need to lead the rest, they need to inspire the rest, because if they do great, the other ones will follow. We need to reach them in the best possible situations. We need to have good links to reach them, and they need to help the team to be solid. I'm happy for the three of them. They have played for the team and they have scored, so it's always important for the strikers."
Elsewhere on the pitch, debutant Maxence Lacroix impressed at the back, even providing the assist for Rogers' goal despite the back three showing some vulnerabilities overall. Jorrel Hato, deployed at left wing-back, demonstrated attacking qualities that hint at his versatility within Alonso's setup. In midfield, neither Enzo Fernandez nor Moises Caicedo started, leaving question marks over that area of the pitch. Alonso noted that Chelsea supporters sang Fernandez's name during the game, despite it being overshadowed by jeers from Fulham fans still resentful over World Cup-related issues. "Football is emotional, we have to accept in this situation," the manager remarked, signaling his intent to keep Fernandez involved going forward absent a late transfer development.
However, the win came despite another shaky display from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, who has repeatedly been a source of anxiety for Chelsea fans regardless of who has managed the club. Josh King's equalizing goal—which carried an extremely low expected-goals value of 0.07, the lowest of any goal scored across the league that weekend—slipped past Sanchez at his near post in what appeared to be an avoidable error. The goalkeeper later compounded matters by failing to control a shot from Timothy Castagne, spilling it directly into the path of Gonzalo Garcia.
Despite the alarming nature of these mistakes, Alonso was measured in his response, declining to single out Sanchez or suggest an imminent change between the posts. "It's about the team, it's not about the individual," he said. "As I said before, we can adjust a few things. The first goal, we can do better to defend, we can do better to avoid, but it's part of the game. We need to accept and to learn from them, and this is going to be a process ... Relax and carry on."
The manager's comments suggest he is prepared to stick with Sanchez as his primary goalkeeper for now, even as speculation persists about alternatives, including the availability of Emiliano Martinez or the potential emergence of 21-year-old Mike Penders. Given the club's history of throwing young players into first-team roles prematurely—as was the case with Filip Jorgensen last season—Alonso appears wary of rushing such a decision.
With Chelsea aiming to progress from last season's tenth-place finish, Alonso's approach emphasizes patience and gradual development over immediate transformation. Players like Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia, both returning from injury-disrupted periods, will need time to find their best form. Still, if Sanchez's uncertain goalkeeping continues to gift opponents opportunities, it could become the most significant obstacle to Alonso's broader rebuilding project at Stamford Bridge.
Based on reporting from The Independent.