Photo: Giovanni Batista Rodriguez / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Chelsea opened their Premier League season with a 3-2 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday, handing new manager Xabi Alonso a winning debut in charge of the club.
Joao Pedro scored inside 35 seconds to give Chelsea an early lead, flicking a Palmer pass clear of the Fulham defence before lifting a finish over Bernd Leno. Fulham equalised through Josh King in the 23rd minute.
Morgan Rogers restored Chelsea's advantage four minutes before half-time on his Blues debut, sweeping home after Maxence Lacroix crossed from the byline following strong work down the left.
Cole Palmer extended the lead to 3-1 early in the second half, guiding a shot through Leno's legs after combining with Rogers and Joao Pedro. Fulham reduced the deficit again when Gonzalo Garcia headed home a rebound off a Robert Sanchez save in the 54th minute.
Chelsea held on despite sustained Fulham pressure in the closing stages. Alonso introduced Pep Chavarria and Enzo Fernandez in the 65th minute, with Geovany Quenda and Estevao Willian coming on in the 82nd minute to replace Palmer and Rogers.
Marco Palestra and Moises Caicedo both missed the match with minor injuries. Chelsea's next fixture is a Carabao Cup tie at home to League One side Luton Town on Thursday.