Chelsea got their 2026/2027 Premier League campaign off to a positive start with a hard-fought 3-2 victory against London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday night.

Goals from João Pedro, Cole Palmer and new signing Morgan Rogers proved decisive, though Josh King and Gonzalo García twice pulled Fulham back within a goal, keeping Alvaro Arbeloa's side in the contest until late on.

Despite enduring some nervy moments in the game, the Blues held on to see out the win and grab maximum points in their opening fixture of the new campaign.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso singled out the trio of Palmer, Pedro and Rogers for praise and their ability to create chances for each other.

"Today, I am happy that all three scored. I really enjoyed his [Cole Palmer] performance," the new Blues manager told Sky Sports.

Alonso played in his first Premier League game at the helm for Chelsea as he faced his former Real Madrid teammate Alvaro Arbeloa, who was also making his Premier League debut as a manager.

Arbeloa also replaced Alonso at Real Madrid after the former Bayer Leverkusen manager was sacked in January by the Spanish giants.

WDN