Chelsea Begins Season with Strong Win Over Fulham at Craven Cottage
Chelsea started their new season on a high note, defeating Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage, thanks to a debut goal from Morgan Rogers. The £117 million signing made an immediate impact, scoring Chelsea’s second goal after Fulham’s Josh King had equalized in response to Joao Pedro’s opening goal just 31 seconds into the match.
Cole Palmer appeared to secure the victory for Chelsea with a third goal early in the second half. However, debutant striker Gonzalo Garcia brought hope to Fulham when he scored, but Chelsea managed to hold on, achieving a successful start to their campaign.
In player ratings, Fulham’s Bernd Leno received a score of 5 for his efforts, having not been primarily at fault for the goals conceded. Timothy Castagne garnered a 6 for assisting King’s goal, while Jorge Cuenca struggled defensively, earning a rating of 4. Calvin Bassey also received a 5 in a disappointing defensive display. Josh King shone for Fulham, scoring the equalizer and earning an 8 for his performance.
For Chelsea, Robert Sanchez was rated a low 3, impacted by an early kicking error and unable to effectively save critical shots. In contrast, Cole Palmer emerged as the standout player with a 9 rating for his creativity and impactful presence on the field. Josh Acheampong and Morgan Rogers were both in good form as well, achieving ratings of 6 and 8, respectively.
This strong performance from Chelsea sets a positive tone for the season ahead as they look to build on this momentum.
Morgan Rogers scored on his Chelsea debut as Xabi Alonso’s side beat Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The £117m signing slotted in his side’s second goal after Fulham midfielder Josh King had cancelled out Joao Pedro’s opener, which came within 31 seconds.
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Cole Palmer thought he had sealed victory for Chelsea with a third goal early in the second half before debutant striker Gonzalo Garcia gave Fulham hope but the visitors held on to start the season with a win.
Here’s how I rated the players and you can see how you scored them at the bottom of the page too.
Fulham ratings
Bernd Leno: The German goalkeeper was not particularly at fault for any of Chelsea’s goals but still couldn’t stop them. 5
Timothy Castagne: The right-back set up King’s goal and his shot led to Fulham’s second, but he struggled defensively. 6
Jorge Cuenca: His poor clearance and mistimed tackle led to Chelsea’s opening goal. He was also at fault for the second, failing to stop Lacroix’s cross. However, his lofted pass helped create Fulham’s second goal. 4
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Calvin Bassey: Less culpable than many of his defensive team-mates, but still part of a disappointing display at the back. 5
Antonee Robinson: The United States international produced an important early block from a Rogers effort and delivered an excellent cross later in the first half, but was often caught out of position on the counter-attack. He lofted a finish well wide in the 77th minute with his weaker right foot when one-on-one with Sanchez. 6
Sander Berge: Struggled to dictate the tempo as he had done in pre-season in an unsettled game. 5
Josh King: The academy graduate was Fulham’s standout performer, creating chances and posing a threat before scoring the first-half equaliser. Almost produced an equaliser in the 73rd minute from range. 8
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Alex Iwobi: The Nigeria international provided a strong physical presence both defensively and in attack. 6
Oscar Bobb: The Norway international’s direct running caused problems down the right, although his influence faded as the game wore on. 7
Gonzalo Garcia: On his debut, Garcia provided a useful focal point in attack in a difficult match for Fulham. He helped relieve pressure after long spells of Chelsea possession and was rewarded with a close-range header in the second half. 7
Cesar Palacios: The new signing worked hard on his debut, but little came off for him, including a long-range effort that flew well over the bar in the first half. 5
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Subs:
Shea Charles (on 67, Bobb): The new signing from Southampton produced some dangerous long balls as Fulham pushed for an equaliser. 6
Kevin (on 73, Palacios): Did little to influence the game. 5
Ryan Sessegnon (on 73, Berge): His running in-behind threatened down the left and he forced a good save from Sanchez. 6
Rodrigo Muniz (on 82, Robinson): 5
Subs not used: Lecomte, De Gougerolles, Tete, Reed, Kevin, Smith Rowe.
Chelsea ratings
Robert Sanchez: An early kicking error gifted Fulham a corner. He should have saved King’s equaliser at his near post, while his initial save for Fulham’s second was parried into a dangerous area, allowing Garcia to score. 3
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Josh Acheampong: The 20-year-old produced a fine double clearance and block in the 27th minute and looked solid throughout. 6
Maxence Lacroix: Remarkably involved in both of Chelsea’s first two goals, with his headed clearance leading to the opener and his run down the right and cut-back setting up Rogers. 7
Levi Colwill: An early mistake left him fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after a foul on Bobb. He was also partly at fault for Fulham’s second goal after failing to clear a deep cross. 5
Malo Gusto: The wing-back was a surprise selection amid Chelsea’s injury problems, but his passing lacked conviction at times. 5
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Romeo Lavia: Booked early on after a late challenge on Bassey. He grew into the game, however, going close from a corner and moving the ball well through midfield. 5
Reece James: Saw a miscued effort saved in the first half but gradually grew into the game and helped Chelsea gain control. 6
Jorrel Hato: Operating in an unfamiliar wing-back role, the defender produced a promising early dribble and adapted well. 6
Cole Palmer: Simply the best player on the pitch. Palmer was creative, physically impressive and produced several superb dribbles before scoring an excellent third goal. He looks refreshed after the summer break. 9
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Morgan Rogers: An outstanding debut. Pressed aggressively, had a shot blocked, played in Joao Pedro and then capped his display by scoring Chelsea’s second with a far-post finish. 8
Joao Pedro: Opened the scoring after 31 seconds with a deft finish over Leno. He also exploited Fulham’s high defensive line intelligently to set up Palmer’s goal. 8
Subs:
Enzo Fernandez (on 65, Lavia): The Argentine was booed by the home fans on every touch of the ball and might not have featured had Moises Caicedo been fit. Still, Fernandez moved the ball around the pitch and fought for possession. 6
Pep Chavarria (on 65, Hato): It was a back-to-the-wall job for the wing-back but he did little of note on his brief debut cameo. 5
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Pedro Neto (on 76, Gusto): 5
Geovany Quenda (on 82, Rogers): 5
Estevao (on 83, Palmer): 5
Subs not used: Penders, Barco, Gittens, Welbeck.
How did you rate the players?
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