Chelsea FC came out on top in a wild season opener at Craven Cottage against a strong Fulham FC. With the 3-2 victory, Xabi Alonso celebrated a successful debut.
Xabi Alonso could hardly have imagined a better start as Chelsea’s coach: His new team—which featured two new signings in the starting lineup, former Wolfsburg player Lacroix and English national team player Rogers—took the lead less than a minute into the game. Palmer reacted lightning-fast to a long ball and set up Joao Pedro, who lobbed the ball over former Leverkusen goalkeeper Leno in the Fulham net (1st min.).
Derby rival Fulham, however, remained undeterred by the early deficit and played boldly on the attack. As both teams repeatedly made mistakes in their build-up play, the match turned into a frantic back-and-forth. King tested Blues goalkeeper Sanchez for the first time (22nd minute) and shortly afterward capitalized on a major blunder by the Spaniard, who let his shot slip under his arm into the near corner (23rd minute).
Palmer Shines—But Fulham Stays in It
There were still no quiet moments. After equalizing, the Cottagers—coached by Xabi Alonso’s good friend, former teammate, and successor as Real Madrid coach, Álvaro Arbeloa—pressed for the 2–1 lead. But the Blues, led by the standout Palmer, also had good chances. He first set up Joao Pedro, whose volley went wide (31′), and then delivered a perfect pass to Lacroix, who laid it off to Rogers in the opponent’s penalty area. The collaboration between the two new signings restored Chelsea’s lead (41′).
Palmer continued to dominate the game after the break: First, he narrowly missed after a strong solo run, and about a minute later, he extended the lead off a pass from Joao Pedro (49′). But anyone who thought Chelsea was closer to a fourth goal than Fulham was to a second was in for a surprise. Out of nowhere, the hosts pulled one back: Sanchez deflected a shot by Cuenca, and Gonzalo pounced to make it 2–3 from Fulham’s perspective (54th minute).
Successful Chelsea debut for Xabi Alonso
The match continued at a fast pace: After Chelsea initially regained the upper hand, King (72′) and Robinson (78′) created good chances for the hosts. But that was all they could manage, so Xabi Alonso celebrated a successful debut, while his friend Arbeloa will have to wait a little longer for his first win as Fulham’s coach.
The Cottagers’ next opportunity comes on Thursday (9:00 p.m.) in the second round of the League Cup at AFC Wimbledon; Chelsea travels to Luton Town on the same evening (8:30 p.m.).
