fulham vs chelsea

Chelsea secured a 3-2 victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage in the opening round of the Premier League season. The match marked the first competitive game for Xabi Alonso as Chelsea manager and pitted him against old friend and Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa, with both coaches having been sacked by Real Madrid last season.

Chelsea opened the scoring early when Joao Pedro netted in the first minute, though Fulham equalized through King in the 23rd minute. Morgan Rogers added a second goal for Chelsea before halftime, and Cole Palmer scored the decisive third goal in the 49th minute. Garcia pulled a goal back for Fulham in the 54th minute, but Chelsea held on to win the high-scoring West London derby.

Uncertainty surrounded the squad selection prior to kickoff, as Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo was completely left out of the matchday squad due to an unspecified issue that the club hoped was not too serious. Marco Palestra was also absent from the lineup following recent fitness issues.

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