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- October 21, 202612°
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Chelsea open the season with a 3-2 win away to Fulham
Chelsea opened their Premier League campaign with three points by beating Fulham 3-2 away from home in the first-week London derby. Xabi Alonso said the victory, secured by goals from João Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer, was a good foundation for the future.
Chelsea won 3-2 away to Fulham in the London derby on the opening weekend of the Premier League. João Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer scored the goals that secured victory for the visitors.
Chelsea take control in the first half
In the 31st second of the match, João Pedro ran in behind the defence onto Cole Palmer's pass and put Chelsea ahead with a finish after going one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Fulham had a chance to equalise in the 20th minute when Joshua King sent a powerful shot from in front of the penalty area, but Robert Sánchez denied him and turned the ball behind for a corner. Three minutes later, King exchanged passes with Timothy Castagne, entered the penalty area from the right and levelled the score with a low finish.
Chelsea came close to a second goal through João Pedro's shot in the 30th minute, while Romeo Lavia missed an opportunity in the 36th. The move began with Palmer's pass and continued when Maxence Lacroix sent the ball to the far post, where Morgan Rogers found the net. Chelsea went into half-time with a 2-1 lead.
Palmer's goal gives Chelsea breathing room
In the 49th minute, Cole Palmer scored Chelsea's third goal after his shot went through the Fulham defence. Receiving the ball from João Pedro on the left side of the penalty area, Palmer sent it between Bernd Leno's legs and into the net.
Fulham responded five minutes later. Gonzalo Garcia headed in the rebound after Castagne's shot from outside the penalty area was saved by Sánchez, scoring his first Premier League goal in a Fulham shirt and reducing the deficit to one.
The home side applied pressure in search of an equaliser during the remainder of the match. Joshua King's shot from in front of the penalty area in the 72nd minute went just wide. Antonee Robinson also failed to find the target in the 78th minute after attempting to lob the goalkeeper when through one-on-one.
Alonso: A performance we can build on for the future
Xabi Alonso, who returned to the Premier League as a manager after 17 years, said after the match that Chelsea had been able to manage different phases of the game. Alonso described it as a good start to their first day and said the team still had areas to improve.
Assessing the two goals conceded by Robert Sánchez, Alonso said the issue was a team matter rather than an individual one. The manager said the defence could have dealt with the first goal better and noted that they needed to improve in every line, from the forwards to the goalkeeper.
Alonso also addressed the goals scored by João Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer, saying the team should be built with those players rather than around them. He added that he was pleased with Palmer's dynamism, freedom and sense of responsibility on the pitch.
Arbeloa: I saw the energy we wanted on the pitch
Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa said falling behind to Chelsea in the 30th second was not a good start. Arbeloa said they responded through Joshua King's goal and created further chances in the first half, adding that their mistakes were punished by a team like Chelsea.
Arbeloa said his team had brought their high-pressing and energetic approach onto the pitch. The manager said it would take time for Fulham to reach the level they wanted in the Premier League and noted that they would try to compete with the same playing philosophy regardless of the opposition.
Arbeloa also said he was pleased with the performances of his young players, adding that he based his assessments less on age than on quality, talent, energy and openness to learning.
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