25/08/2026
I watched our game against Fulham and here is my take from it.
There is a lot we need to be excited about under Xabi Alonso but there is also a very obvious problem that could stop us from going to where we want.
Chelsea started Alonso’s Premier League era with a win at Craven Cottage with Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer all scoring.
1. Our front three could be special.
This was easily the most encouraging part of the game.
Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer looked dangerous because they weren’t playing like three isolated attackers. They were constantly interchanging, combining and attacking spaces. Joao Pedro’s goal after just 31 seconds was a perfect example. Palmer immediately recognised the space, produced the flick and Joao Pedro showed the composure to finish.
Then Rogers scored his debut goal before Palmer added the third. That means our three most important attacking players all got on the scoresheet in Alonso’s first Premier League game. For me this is a very serious positive.
2. Joao Pedro looks extremely comfortable as the No.9.
This is something I was particularly interested in after all the discussion about Chelsea’s No.9 shirt. He didn’t look like a player trying to adapt to the position rather he looked like a player who wants to be there. His movement caused Fulham problems, he linked well with Palmer and Rogers. He consistently threatened the space behind their defence. He even had another goal ruled out for offside late in the game.
Seeing these early signs from Joao is extremely encouraging about the No. 9.
3. Alonso’s Chelsea already looks different.
I don’t think we should expect a fully developed Alonso system after one competitive match but you could already see some differences, we looked more direct, aggressive and willing to attack space rather than simply controlling possession for the sake of it. Our transitions were particularly dangerous.
When we won the ball and immediately found Palmer, Rogers or Joao Pedro, Fulham looked vulnerable. This is potentially going to become one of the defining characteristics of this Chelsea side.
4. Palmer was the biggest individual positive.
For me Cole Palmer was the standout player. He had one goal, one assist and involvement in all three goals. Beyond the numbers he looked confident again. Last season was disrupted by injuries and inconsistency. So seeing Palmer looking sharp, aggressive and willing to take responsibility is huge one for us. If Alonso gets Palmer back to his best while surrounding him with Joao Pedro and Rogers, then we can have a frightening attacking platform.
5. Our defence was nowhere near good enough.
We cannot defend like this and seriously talk about winning the Premier League. We conceded two goals that were avoidable. The first involved a poor attempt from Robert Sanchez to deal with Josh King’s effort, while the second came after another Sanchez error allowed Fulham back into the game. And it wasn’t only Sanchez, there were moments when our defensive structure looked vulnerable and Fulham were able to attack Chelsea far too easily.
Honestly against Fulham, we survived but against teams like Arsenal, Liverpool, City or other top sides, those mistakes could become three points dropped rather than three points gained.
6. The goalkeeper situation is becoming impossible to ignore.
I’m not going to make the entire result about Sanchez because Alonso himself defended him and emphasised that defending is a collective responsibility but at the same time, we can’t pretend the goalkeeper situation is not a problem. If we genuinely have ambitions of challenging for the title, the goalkeeper position has to be sorted. A goalkeeper cannot repeatedly give opponents a way back into games.
7. One thing I really liked is that we survived.
This is important. We were not perfect, they were actually quite chaotic but after Fulham made it 2–3, we did not collapse. We had to manage the final stages of the match and eventually got over the line. This is something we have not always been able to say about us in recent seasons. You don’t win a title by playing beautiful football every week. Sometimes you have to win ugly and this was definitely an ugly win for us.
What I saw was a Chelsea side with enormous attacking potential but unfinished defensive work and this is actually quite exciting because defensive organisation can improve with coaching. You can’t coach the kind of natural attacking chemistry Palmer, Joao Pedro and Rogers showed. If Alonso can make this Chelsea more defensively reliable without taking away that attacking freedom, we could have a seriously good team and honestly after one game, my biggest question isn’t can we score enough goals? Rather it is can Alonso make us stop conceding stupid ones?
