Xabi Alonso made a winning start as Chelsea manager as Morgan Rogers scored on his debut in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Fulham in a dramatic west London derby at Craven Cottage on Monday.
Chelsea needed just 31 seconds to take the lead through Joao Pedro. Levi Colwill’s header found Cole Palmer, who produced a clever flick into Pedro’s path before the Brazilian calmly clipped the ball past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Fulham drew level in the 23rd minute after Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez made a costly mistake. Josh King’s effort appeared saveable, but Sanchez failed to keep the ball out as Fulham punished the error.
Chelsea continued to attack with confidence despite being exposed at the back by Alonso’s bold 3-4-3 formation. Romeo Lavia came close to restoring the lead, but Leno produced an excellent save.
Rogers eventually put Chelsea back in front in the 41st minute on his debut following his £117 million move from Aston Villa, which made him the most expensive British player in history.
The goal came after Palmer turned cleverly before releasing debutant defender Maxence Lacroix. Lacroix drove forward and delivered a low cross that reached Rogers, who produced a clinical finish from 10 yards.
Rogers celebrated with the ‘ice-cold’ gesture made popular by Palmer, underlining the close friendship between the two players.
Palmer then extended Chelsea’s advantage four minutes after half-time. Pedro held up the ball brilliantly before Palmer burst into the Fulham area and fired a low shot past Leno from a tight angle to make it 3-1.
Fulham refused to give up and reduced the deficit in the 54th minute after another mistake from Sanchez. The Chelsea goalkeeper could only push Timothy Castagne’s shot into danger, allowing Gonzalo Garcia to head in the rebound on his debut after joining Fulham from Real Madrid.
The hosts pushed hard for an equaliser, with King sending a long-range effort narrowly wide before Antonee Robinson also came close with a lob that drifted just beyond Sanchez’s goal.
Chelsea survived a frantic finale to secure all three points and give Alonso the perfect competitive start to his tenure.
The victory also saw Alonso come out on top against Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa, his former teammate at Real Madrid and Liverpool. The pair also represented Spain together and spent seven years as teammates.
Ironically, Arbeloa was promoted from Real Madrid B to replace Alonso after the latter was dismissed by the Spanish giants in January.
For Chelsea, the performances of Rogers, Palmer and Pedro offer early encouragement that the club can challenge for a return to Champions League football after finishing 10th in the Premier League last season.
However, Sanchez’s two costly errors will remain a major concern for Alonso despite the impressive winning start.
