Fulham 2-3 Chelsea, Premier League: Post-match reaction, ratings
Chelsea secured a 3-2 victory against Fulham in their Premier League season opener. The match featured an early goal from Joao Pedro and a debut goal from Morgan Rogers.
Why it matters
This result marks the beginning of Xabi Alonso's tenure as Chelsea manager and sets the tone for the club's competitive season.
Chelsea made a dream start to the game and to the season, pressing high on Fulham’s first possession, forcing a turnover, and Cole Palmer finding Joao Pedro to finish with aplomb, 1-v-1 with the goalkeeper. There were 31 seconds on the clock: the fastest goal in our Premier League history, the fastest first goal for any team to begin the season.
Emboldened, we kept up the pressure and the intensity, creating multiple dangerous situations, but not quite finding the right final touch or final pass. James did see a piledriver blocked while Palmer and Morgan Rogers both seemed to pass up presentable shooting opportunities.
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