João Pedro, Palmer and Rogers fire Chelsea to 3-2 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage
Chelsea defeated Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage in a Premier League match on 24 August 2026, a win in Xabi Alonso’s first competitive game as Chelsea manager. João Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers combined in the attack while Maxence Lacroix contributed an assist.
Chelsea’s front three — João Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers — were central to the victory, with Lacroix providing the pass that led to one of the goals; Lacroix arrived in a £52m deal. Rogers scored on his debut after moving from Aston Villa for £117m, and Palmer entered the match with motivation after missing out on England’s World Cup squad. Alonso set up his side in a 3-4-2-1 system similar to the one he used at Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, selecting Roméo Lavia alongside Reece James in midfield in the absence of Moisés Caicedo, while Marco Palestra was unable to make his debut because of a minor knock. Fulham were managed by Alvaro Arbeloa following Marco Silva’s departure for Benfica, and Malo Gusto and Jorrel Hato were used as wing-backs.
The opener came after 31 seconds when Palmer’s flick exposed a gap left by Jorge Cuenca and released João Pedro, who lifted a delicate dink over Bernd Leno. The early goal followed a lapse in Fulham’s defensive shape and came after a clearance rebounded into play, allowing Palmer to set João Pedro through. Chelsea’s attacking intent was evident from the restart, but the visitors also showed vulnerability in discipline with bookings for Levi Colwill and Lavia inside the first 12 minutes.
Fulham responded by pressing and tested Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sánchez, whose handling was described as unconvincing when he let a backpass from Josh Acheampong run for a corner. Josh King twice threatened Sánchez and the teenager’s second low drive from a tight angle squirmed under the Chelsea goalkeeper to level the score. Fulham’s young midfielders, including César Palacios, helped the hosts regain momentum and there was a block from Acheampong to deny Gonzalo García as Fulham pushed after the equaliser.
Chelsea regained the lead when Lacroix made an ambitious overlapping run to meet a pass from Palmer, drew Leno and pulled the ball back for Morgan Rogers to score and make it 2-1. Rogers, operating as the left No 10, combined with teammates and contributed significant off-the-ball work. Chelsea continued to probe: Lavia tested Leno and Palmer drifted inside to create opportunities, including a cross that João Pedro volleyed wide.
At the start of the second half João Pedro carried the ball from just inside his own half and released Palmer, who deceived Leno by feigning a cutback before rolling the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs to extend Chelsea’s lead. Fulham reduced the deficit in the 54th minute after Levi Colwill misjudged a long ball; Sánchez spilled Timothy Castagne’s shot and García headed in the rebound. Fulham threatened an equaliser on three separate occasions as they sought a late response.
A cramping Roméo Lavia was replaced by Enzo Fernández, whose every touch was booed by the crowd; the article also notes wider questions around Fernández’s future at Chelsea with Manchester City reportedly circling. Alonso will have concerns about goalkeeping and moments of tactical naivety despite the victory, and the manager’s rebuild at Chelsea remains far from finished.