Chelseas New

LONDON — Xabi Alonso praised his attacking trio of João Pedro, Cole Palmer, and Morgan Rogers, emphasizing their potential to “inspire” the team after they each scored in Chelsea’s 3-2 victory over Fulham on Monday night in the Premier League.

Alonso described the victory as a “great first step” in his debut competitive match as Chelsea’s head coach. He utilized a revamped attacking lineup, which yielded immediate results as Pedro netted the opening goal just 31 seconds into the match.

Fulham equalized through Josh King, capitalizing on a mistake from goalkeeper Robert Sánchez. However, Chelsea regained the lead before halftime with Rogers scoring on his debut.

Chelsea quickly added a third goal after the break as Pedro assisted Palmer for a 3-1 lead, but Gonzalo García scored for Fulham on his debut to narrow the gap to 3-2. Following the match, Alonso expressed his satisfaction with his front trio’s performance.

“They are going to play a crucial role in the team’s success. To build a cohesive unit, they must take responsibility and lead by example to inspire others. If they excel, the whole team will follow suit,” Alonso stated.

“We must strategically position them for optimal impact. I’m thrilled for all three; they contributed significantly to the team’s efforts,” he added.

Both Palmer and Pedro missed the World Cup, being excluded from the rosters of England and Brazil respectively, while this marked Rogers’ debut following his £117 million ($159.5 million) transfer from Aston Villa to Chelsea during the summer.

Reflecting on Palmer’s performance, Alonso remarked: “I’m very pleased with Cole. He brought dynamism, freedom, and a sense of responsibility that positively impacted the team. If he maintains this mindset, it will greatly benefit Chelsea. I’m happy he enjoyed this match.”

After the game, Rogers spoke to Sky Sports, emphasizing Palmer’s readiness to bounce back after a challenging 2025-26 season. “Everyone knows his talent. He faced challenges with injuries, but you can see the determination in his eyes during pre-season. He’s prepared to prove detractors wrong this year, and we saw that reflected in our performance. He was the standout player on the pitch,” Rogers stated.

Despite the positive aspects, there were defensive issues for Chelsea to address. Sánchez was responsible for King’s equalizer and also failed to handle Timothy Castagne’s shot that led to Fulham’s second goal. Nevertheless, Alonso chose not to criticize his goalkeeper.

“We focus on the team as a whole,” Alonso commented. “We could have defended better on the first goal and prevented it. It’s part of the game, and we must accept it and learn. Improvement is a process we must embrace across all areas, and our goal was to commence the season positively, to relax, and to build on this foundation.”

Enzo Fernández started the match on the bench, with uncertainty surrounding his future, but he received a warm welcome from Chelsea fans upon his introduction in the second half.

Addressing the fans’ reception and his own name being sung, Alonso said: “It’s not a big deal. I’m pleased to have played our first official Premier League match here. It was wonderful to celebrate with our fans, and I felt their excitement. They were eager for a strong performance, and it’s vital to foster this connection with them.”