Highly expected under Xabi Alonso, Chelsea opened the Premier League with a 3-2 victory over Fulham. The performance at Craven Cottage brought positive signals in attack, but also exposed old problems in The Blues' defense system.
Chelsea only took less than a minute to make a difference. Cole Palmer assisted Joao Pedro to loft the ball over Bernd Leno's head, opening the score with a delicate handling.
The early goal helped Chelsea play more confidently. The trio Palmer, Pedro and Morgan Rogers continuously put Fulham's defense in a defensive position, in which Palmer was particularly prominent with his ability to move freely and connect with his teammates.
However, Chelsea also quickly revealed familiar weaknesses. Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia received yellow cards in the first 12 minutes of the match. The unstable defense of The Blues helped Fulham have a chance to rise up.
Robert Sanchez continues to become a worrying point. The Spanish goalkeeper did not handle some kicks well and made a direct mistake leading to Josh King's equalizer. The shot from the near corner was not too difficult, but Sanchez let the ball pass through his hands.
Chelsea still had time to respond right before halftime. Palmer created space with intelligent movements, helping Lacroix escape and then pass across for Rogers to finish at the far post, bringing the away team back to the lead.
Right at the beginning of the second half, Chelsea increased the score to 3-1. Pedro assisted Palmer to take advantage of Fulham's defense's mistake and score. This is the image that Chelsea fans expect from Palmer: confident, proactive and capable of deciding the match.
But Chelsea could not completely control the game. The defense continued to make mistakes when Colwill lost the ball, creating an opportunity for Timothy Castagne to finish. Sanchez saved the first shot, but Gonzalo Garcia quickly arrived to head in, narrowing the score to 2-3.
Fulham then had a great opportunity to equalize the score. Antonee Robinson escaped after a long pass and faced Sanchez, but the American defender's lob went wide of the post.
Chelsea survived the final minutes under great pressure. Alonso may be satisfied with the victory, but his debut also brings many problems to be solved.
The biggest highlight lies in the attack. Palmer, Pedro and Rogers showed that they could become a formidable trio. Pedro scored in the first minute, Palmer contributed one goal and one assist, while Rogers also put his name on the scoreboard.
Chelsea also benefits from not having to play in European cups this season. A lighter schedule can help them maintain fitness and focus maximally on the Premier League.
The Blues also added experience with Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, and at the same time increased the quality of the squad with contracts like Rogers and Lacroix. Alonso therefore has more options to build the squad as desired.
However, the goalkeeper and defensive ability are still big question marks. Chelsea cannot continuously expect the attack to correct mistakes behind. Moises Caicedo's return may help make the midfield more solid, while the coordination of the defense needs more time to form.
The victory over Fulham is not enough for Chelsea to talk about the championship. But if the trio Palmer, Pedro and Rogers continue to develop, The Blues have reason to expect a worthwhile season under Alonso.
