Chelsea edge Fulham 3-2 as Xabi Alonso begins Premier League reign with victory

Chelsea began the Xabi Alonso era with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday, giving the Spanish manager his first win in charge and securing three points in the opening round of the Premier League.

The result also marked a first Premier League defeat for Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa, after his side twice reduced the deficit but ultimately failed to complete a comeback.

Chelsea made the perfect start, taking the lead after just 31 seconds. Joao Pedro collected a through ball from Cole Palmer inside the Fulham penalty area before producing an excellent finish over the goalkeeper and into the net.

The goal, scored in the 31st second, was reported by Opta to be the fastest in the history of the opening round of the Premier League.

Fulham recovered from the early setback and levelled in the 23rd minute. Josh King received a pass from Castagne inside the area, controlled the ball and struck a powerful shot beyond the Chelsea goalkeeper.

The equaliser restored Fulham’s belief, but Chelsea regained the advantage shortly before half-time. The move began with another pass from Palmer, which found Maxence Lacroix. The defender advanced into the penalty area and delivered a cross across the face of goal, where Morgan Rogers arrived to finish from close range in the 41st minute.

The goal was described in the accompanying video caption as: “Morgan Rogers puts Chelsea back in front after a brilliant pass from Maxence Lacroix and a composed finish inside the box.”

Chelsea extended their lead four minutes after the restart. Joao Pedro supplied the through ball for Palmer, who drove a powerful effort from inside the penalty area that Fulham’s goalkeeper was unable to keep out.

That third goal appeared to give Chelsea control, but Fulham responded almost immediately. In the 54th minute, a powerful effort from a Fulham player was saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Sanchez. The rebound fell to Gonzalo Garcia, who headed firmly into the net to make it 3-2.

“GOAL!Gonzalo Garcia heads home from close range to score his first for@FulhamFC, and they’re back in the game!” read the accompanying English match update.

The hosts pressed for another equaliser during the remaining minutes, while Chelsea sought to protect their narrow advantage. Alonso’s side held on until the final whistle to claim a valuable opening-day victory.

The result gives Chelsea three points at the beginning of their Premier League campaign and provides Alonso with a winning start to his tenure. For Arbeloa, the match ended with defeat despite Fulham’s two goals and their efforts to recover from Chelsea’s fast opening and second-half advantage.

The match’s goals were also shared through video posts, including captions describing Joao Pedro’s early strike as a “blistering start” for Alonso’s team and Josh King’s equaliser as a goal that returned the contest to its starting point.

Readers were also invited to discuss the match and its news in greater depth on the Kooora forums.