Chelsea forwards fire Xabi Alonso to victory in first game as boss

Xabi Alonso began his Chelsea reign with a 3-2 win at Fulham on Monday, after Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro combined to produce an impressive attacking display in a thrilling west London derby.

Alonso gave the trio freedom to attack Fulham’s defence, and Joao Pedro needed only 31 seconds to put Chelsea ahead, calmly converting Cole Palmer’s pass.

Rogers then underlined why Chelsea paid Aston Villa £117m for him, a fee that made the England forward the most expensive British player in history. He restored Chelsea’s lead by finishing emphatically after Fulham had levelled through Josh King, who capitalised on a mistake by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

Palmer added a third after the interval, scoring from an acute angle to put the visitors 3-1 ahead.

Fulham reduced the deficit late on when a second Sanchez error allowed Gonzalo Garcia to score, ensuring Alonso had to withstand a tense finish before celebrating victory in his first match in charge.

“We were a threat. The three strikers were combining well and creating chances,” Alonso said.

“Overall, the squad is balanced. The special players need to have the freedom but as well they need to have the responsibility to help the team.

“We know they have the talent to create many chances. It is a good start. But it is not to rely only on them. We need to have control, quality and toughness.”

The result offered a sharp contrast to Chelsea’s lacklustre performances under Enzo Maresca and then Liam Rosenior last season.

Alonso, a former Liverpool midfielder, was dismissed by Real Madrid in January after less than eight months in the role. He is attempting to rebuild his reputation after his highly successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen, where he guided the club to an unexpected German title in 2024.

The former Real Madrid manager acknowledged that Chelsea had been forced to show resilience as well as attacking quality at Craven Cottage.

“It was a really intense game. We suffered, we competed, we did whatever it takes in certain moments,” Alonso said.

“The early goals helped to get confidence. We had a few chances before their equaliser.

“At the end, you know you have to roll your sleeves up and fight to defend your goal.”

Palmer also made a strong early statement after a difficult previous season contributed to England manager Thomas Tuchel leaving him out of the World Cup squad.

The attacking midfielder appeared rejuvenated by the arrival of close friend Rogers. The pair, who came through the Manchester City youth system together, celebrated their goals with the ‘ice-cold’ gesture Palmer helped popularise after borrowing it from Rogers.

“When you grow up, you want to play or do anything with your best friends, so playing football at the best level feels surreal,” Palmer said.

Palmer admitted he had worked hard to return to his best following a campaign affected by injuries.

“Did you not watch the game? I’m only joking! I’m ready you know.

“It was a difficult season with injuries and whatnot, but through the summer and since I’ve been back, I’ve worked extra hard.

“I know the talent I’ve got so I can put in performances like that.”

Asked whether he was motivated to answer his critics, Palmer added: “Normally I’m not an emotional person.

“The people who know me know I’m not usually bothered about things in life, but over the summer I rested, I recharged and yeah I’m ready and I’m hungry.”