Cole Palmer Shines As Chelsea Beat Fulham In PL Opener

 

Chelsea kicked off the season with a 3-2 win against Fulham in a London derby at Craven Cottage, setting a winning streak for Xabi Alonso in his first Premier League game. 

This summer, Chelsea hired the former Real Madrid manager to replace Enzo Maresca. Unlike this match, Chelsea drew 1-1 against Crystal Palace in their opening game last season. They finished in 10th, missing out on European competition. 

The Blues set the tone early, with an opening goal from Joao Pedro. Fulham responded with the equaliser through King, who struck a left-footed shot home from inside the penalty area. 

Chelsea reclaimed the lead in the counter when Morgan Rogers struck home Maxence Lacroix's cutback. The Blues finished the first half in the lead and extended it after the halftime break. 

Palmer scored the third as Pedro slipped the ball into his path inside the penalty area, and he struck it through Leno's legs. Fulham narrowed the lead once again through Garcia. Sanchez saved Timothy Castagne's shot into his path, and he nodded the ball into the net. 

Alonso kicked off his Premier League campaign with a win in his first game. In the 2023-24 season, he led Bayer Leverkusen to win their first Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal in 31 years. Bayer had an incredible unbeaten run through the domestic competitions, winning both titles.

Overview 

Despite conceding early, Fulham showed great composure in defense. In the first half, Alex Iwobi was a standout, coordinating the midfield, and Bassey did a great job holding down the right back each time Castagne overlapped. 

Fulham tried to exploit Chelsea's left back, but resisted. Eventually, they broke through in a one-two ball exchange between Castagne and King.. Palmer played a crucial role in the midfield, moving the attackers forward. He was directly involved in the buildup to the second goal.

Missed chances and Assists. 

Pedro's volley missed the goal by a whisker following a cutback from Cole Palmer. In the second half, Robinson missed the target, lobbing the ball over Sanchez. 

Palmer gave the most assists during the game. He was involved in all three goals. Similarly, Oscar Bobb was also influential for Fulham. He was involved in the build-up to the equaliser, and King missed getting a touch on his cutback at the edge of the six-yard box.