Palmer runs the show as Chelsea edge Fulham but backline blunders spark fan fury

Xabi Alonso’s first night in English football brought three points and a fair few palpitations. Chelsea won the west London derby 3-2 at Craven Cottage, with Cole Palmer pulling the strings and Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Palmer himself on the scoresheet. But a pair of soft concessions left the away end grumbling about familiar frailties.

Palmer the conductor, Chelsea quick out the blocks

Inside the opening minute, Palmer slid Joao Pedro through and the forward coolly lifted over Bernd Leno to silence the Cottage. The England midfielder was at it again soon after, knitting play with Maxence Lacroix before Morgan Rogers finished off a smart move. Palmer then added what looked like the cushion, tucking beyond Leno to make it 3-1 for a spell. As attacking statements go, this was slick, confident and exactly what Alonso wants his Chelsea to be.

Defensive jitters won’t go away

The flip side? The back door was left on the latch. Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia both beat Robert Sanchez, and the Spanish keeper will know he should have done better with each. He wasn’t helped by the men in front, either. Alonso set up with three centre-backs and wing-backs, with Levi Colwill on the left of the trio. The 23-year-old had a mixed evening: he won four of six duels and made two tackles, but he coughed up possession five times, made one error that led to a shot, and was caught under the flight for both Fulham goals.

That’s the harsh reality of top-level defending: switch off for seconds and you’re punished. The raw materials are there with Colwill, but concentration and positioning are under the microscope now that the stakes are higher under Alonso.

Fans’ verdict: relief and rage in equal measure

Scroll through X and you’ll find the split personality of this performance. Many lauded Palmer as unplayable, while others lumped Sanchez and the left side of defence together as a recurring problem. Some supporters even wondered aloud if this was a rerun of last season’s wobbliness, questioning whether a title charge is realistic if these errors persist. The mood: delighted with the front-foot football, deeply uneasy about the soft centre.

What Alonso learned on night one

Alonso’s blueprint was clear: brave structure, central overloads, and Palmer as the hub. Going forward, Chelsea looked miles more cohesive. But you sense the first week at Cobham will be heavy on defensive spacing, communication and body shape when play turns. Lacroix will need time to bed in with his new partners, and Sanchez must tidy up his handling and footwork if he’s to keep the gloves.

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The numbers that tell the tale

Key stats via SofaScore (correct as of 24-08-26): Colwill won 4/6 duels, completed two tackles, lost possession five times, and registered one error leading to a shot. Palmer was directly involved in all three goals, encapsulating why he’s the heartbeat of this side already.

Bottom line: Chelsea earned the win and gave their new boss liftoff. But unless the Blues cut out the lapses, this rollercoaster will throw up as many scares as celebrations.