Alonso says Chelsea need ‘great version’ of Palmer as Enzo future remains undecided

Xabi Alonso says Chelsea need Cole Palmer to produce his best form if they are to build a strong team, after beginning their Premier League campaign with a 3-2 win away to Fulham.

Palmer was praised by Chelsea manager Alonso following a hard-fought victory in the opening round of the season, with the England international described as having combined responsibility and maturity with freedom in his play.

“I enjoyed Palmer’s performance,” Alonso told Sky Sports after the match. “He played with responsibility and maturity but also with freedom. It was important to get the best out of him. I am happy for him and if we want to have a good team we need a great version of Palmer.”

Chelsea took an early lead at Craven Cottage and, despite Fulham twice threatening to get back into the contest, held on for three points in a match Alonso said demanded resilience and defensive commitment.

“You cannot feel comfortable when you are one goal ahead,” he said. “It was a difficult game and we know how difficult away matches are.”

The Chelsea boss was pleased with the way his side responded during the more challenging stages of the game, particularly after Fulham drew level.

“We knew how to deal with the periods of suffering, doing whatever was required at certain moments, and that is why we are very happy with these three points,” Alonso added.

He felt the early goal helped Chelsea settle, while also suggesting they had opportunities to extend their advantage before Fulham scored.

“The early goal helped us to gain confidence,” said Alonso. “I think we had some chances to score before they equalised, but we were largely stable and comfortable even without the ball, and we were creating danger.”

Alonso also highlighted the work of Chelsea’s three attackers, who he believed linked well and contributed to the chances created by the visitors.

“The three forwards combined well and created chances,” he said. “In the end, to win away from home you have to fight and defend your goal. That is also something we want to do in the future, but it was a good game for the first day.”

The Spaniard described the victory as a professional performance in a match that featured changing periods of control.

“The game was professional and had different periods of control,” Alonso said. “An away win in the Premier League is usually difficult and we were ready for that.”

Attention now turns to the future of Enzo, with Alonso acknowledging that the situation could become clearer in the coming days. He did not offer a firm prediction, but said he expected developments during the week.

“Enzo’s future? In football, nothing surprises me,” Alonso said. “We will see what happens. Of course, I hope we can make something happen in the future, but we will see this week.”