Morgan Rogers scores on his debut as Chelsea survive late Fulham fightback to give Alonso winning Premier League start.
Xabi Alonso began his reign as Chelsea manager with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Fulham in a pulsating west London derby at Craven Cottage on Monday.
Joao Pedro gave Chelsea a dream start after just 31 seconds, capitalising on a clever pass from Cole Palmer to fire past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Fulham levelled in the 23rd minute when Josh King benefited from a mistake by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, whose attempt to save the striker’s effort allowed the ball to slip into the net.
Chelsea restored their lead shortly before half-time through Morgan Rogers, who marked his debut with a clinical finish after a well-worked move involving Palmer and Maxence Lacroix.
Palmer then extended Chelsea’s advantage four minutes into the second half, firing a low effort past Leno after good work from Pedro.
Fulham reduced the deficit in the 54th minute when Gonzalo Garcia headed in the rebound after Sanchez failed to hold Timothy Castagne’s effort, setting up a tense finish.
The hosts pushed for an equaliser, with King and Antonee Robinson coming close, but Chelsea held on to secure victory and give Alonso a winning start.
The result also saw Alonso overcome his close friend and former Real Madrid teammate Alvaro Arbeloa, who took charge of Fulham after replacing him at Real Madrid’s B team earlier this year.
Chelsea will hope the promising performances of Rogers, Palmer and Pedro can help the club recover from last season’s 10th-place finish and mount a challenge for Champions League qualification.