The match was certainly not easy, but Chelsea secured their first victory under Xabi Alonso in the Premier League with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Fulham. After scoring just 31 seconds after kick-off, Chelsea looked as if they could run away comfortably, but Fulham refused to stop fighting.
A back-and-forth first half
Joao Pedro opened the scoring for Chelsea after receiving a great ball from Cole Palmer, calmly chipping the ball over Bernd Leno after finding himself one-on-one with the Fulham keeper. Pedro was excellent in pre-season and quickly opened his scoring account for the season to give Chelsea the advantage.
Fulham slowly grew into the match and managed to find an equalizer in the 23rd minute. Joshua King played a quick one-two with Timothy Castagne and got himself in a great shooting position at the right of the penalty box. King struck the ball well, and Sanchez reacted poorly. The shot was in the center of the net, and the Chelsea keeper will wish he had a do-over.
Chelsea once again took control of the match and found a second goal just before the half-time break. Maxence Lacroix made a darting run forward and received the ball from Palmer inside the box. The center-back, making his Chelsea debut, showed lovely composure to cut the ball back to Rogers, who took a touch before striking the ball into the back of the net.
Chelsea clinch the win in the second half
Just four minutes into the second half, Chelsea got their third goal of the night. Robert Sanchez’s long punt was flicked on to Joao Pedro, who did an excellent job holding the ball under pressure. He found Palmer in space, who slotted the ball through Leno’s legs to finish the chance.
Fulham’s response was swift, with Gonzalo Garcia making an immediate impact on his debut. Robert Sanchez did a good job saving the initial effort from Timothy Castagne, but Garcia was in the right place to head the ball into the net. Despite an early second-half goal, Fulham were unable to find another before the final whistle.
What’s next?
Chelsea and Fulham both play on Sunday, with Chelsea’s next match at home vs. Brighton and Fulham heading on the road to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland.
