Chelsea kicked off their Premier League campaign with a dramatic 3-2 victory against rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Monday. Under the management of Xabi Alonso, Chelsea’s revamped front three delivered an impressive performance that stole the spotlight.

Making his debut after a record £117 million transfer from Aston Villa, Morgan Rogers collaborated effectively with Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, leading to an electrifying attacking display. All three forwards found the net, with Palmer notably showcasing his talents after a challenging year that saw him miss out on England’s World Cup squad.

However, concerns linger about goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, whose two errors allowed Fulham’s Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia to score. Alonso commented on the team’s collective responsibility, stating, “We need to accept and learn from them [the mistakes]. This is going to be a process.” He emphasized that improvements are required across the entire team.

Post-match analysis from former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, appearing on Sky Sports, praised Palmer, Rogers, and Joao Pedro, noting their potential to be as formidable as any forwards in the league. Yet, he cautioned that Chelsea’s title ambitions could be jeopardized with Sanchez in goal.

‘Sensational’ Palmer Reclaims Form

Joao Pedro opened the scoring just 31 seconds into the match, following a setup from Palmer for Chelsea’s fastest goal since October 2016. Although King equalized for Fulham, Rogers quickly restored Chelsea’s lead before halftime with a close-range effort. Palmer’s standout performance saw him also score, demonstrating a return to form after a frustrating streak of injuries.

Reflecting on his readiness, Palmer stated to Sky Sports, “Over the summer I rested, I recharged and, yeah, I’m ready and I’m hungry.” Currently, he is just two goals shy of reaching 50 in the Premier League.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville lauded the front three, declaring, “Cole Palmer was sensational… The front three were brilliant.”

Newly United Duo Excels

Rogers’ arrival not only bolstered Chelsea’s attack but also reunited him with Palmer, an ex-Manchester City teammate. Rogers expressed excitement about Palmer’s performance, stating, “He was the best player on the pitch by a mile.” Rogers made history as the first Chelsea player to score on his Premier League debut since Christopher Nkunku in 2023.

Joao Pedro, who missed out on the World Cup, continued his impressive form from pre-season, having scored eight goals in seven games prior to the match. Alonso praised the front three, noting, “We know if we reach them [Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and Cole Palmer] in good positions, they have this talent to create special things.”

Concerns Over Sanchez’s Performance

Despite the offensive success, Sanchez’s performance raised significant questions. He struggled with King’s equalizer, which had an expected goals on target value of just 0.05, and later mishandled a shot, allowing Garcia to score. Neville highlighted the importance of a reliable goalkeeper, stating, “You cannot take a chance on goalkeepers… if you have a goalkeeper who’s making mistakes, it will undermine everything you’re trying to do.”

Alonso defended Sanchez after the match but acknowledged that goalkeepers must show their worth on the field. Speculation around a potential new first-choice goalkeeper has heightened, with Carragher warning that unresolved issues in goalkeeping could haunt Chelsea throughout the season.

If football is won in both boxes, it seems as though Chelsea have one far better covered than the other.

Xabi Alonso began his Stamford Bridge reign with an entertaining 3-2 Premier League win at west London rivals Fulham on Monday – and their new-look front three stole the show.

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Morgan Rogers, making his debut after his club record £117m summer move from Aston Villa, combined with Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro to produce a devastating attacking display.

All three scored, with Palmer in particular looking back to his best after a difficult year hampered by injuries, culminating in his omission from England’s World Cup squad.

At the other end, though, questions remain over goalkeeper Robert Sanchez after two errors contributed to Fulham’s goals from Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia.

Alonso said his front three needed to “lead the rest” so that the “other ones will follow”.

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But Sanchez has some catching up to do – and when asked about his mistakes, Alonso could only stress the collective responsibility of the team.

“We need to accept and learn from them [the mistakes],” said the Spaniard. “This is going to be a process.

“All the lines, from the strikers, the midfielders, the defence, the goalkeepers, we want to do better in everything.”

After the match, ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher – a former team-mate of Alonso – said on Sky Sports that Palmer, Rogers and Joao Pedro are “as good as anything in the Premier League right now”.

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He also said they would they “will never win the league with Sanchez in goal”.

Will that come to pass?

‘Sensational’ Palmer ‘hungry’ again

It took Joao Pedro just 31 seconds to open the scoring, latching on to a pass from Palmer and lifting his shot over Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno for Chelsea’s fastest goal since October 2016.

After King had equalised, Rogers then marked his debut with a goal before half-time by tapping in from close range.

But it was Palmer – scorer of Chelsea’s third – who stood out most.

He has endured a frustrating 18 months since a niggling groin problem disrupted his sensational start to life at Stamford Bridge, highlighted by the fact he matched last season’s Premier League assist tally by setting up Joao Pedro.

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His trickery and creativity was on display throughout against Fulham, along with an impressive work-rate. This was more like the Palmer we saw during his first season at Stamford Bridge – and like the one who tore Paris St-Germain apart during last year’s Club World Cup final.

“Over the summer I rested, I recharged and, yeah, I’m ready and I’m hungry,” Palmer, who is now just two goals away from 50 in the Premier League, told Sky Sports.

He certainly looks refreshed.

During Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Australia, he spoke of having a point to prove and admitted a lengthy summer break felt unusual after featuring in major tournaments in each of the previous three years.

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“Cole Palmer was sensational,” said former Manchester United defender Gary Neville on Sky Sports. “Him and Morgan Rogers were electric with Joao Pedro – the front three were brilliant.

“That tonight was the old Cole Palmer. It was unbelievable to watch. One of the best things I’ve seen this weekend.”

How two best mates and Joao Pedro linked up

While Palmer and Joao Pedro have generally carried Chelsea’s biggest attacking threat in recent times, they have now been joined by the impressive Rogers too.

His arrival reunites him with Palmer, an ex-Manchester City team-mate and someone he described after the win at Craven Cottage as his “best friend in football”.

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“He had a difficult season with injuries and stuff last year – and you could see it in his eyes in pre-season and training that he’s ready this year and ready to prove people wrong,” added Rogers when asked about Palmer’s display.

“You saw that with that performance. He was the best player on the pitch by a mile and that’s what he does. It’s good to have him on our side.”

Indeed, it was also encouraging how Rogers, whose pre-season was shortened by his involvement in England’s run to third place at the World Cup, looked so fit and powerful.

Rogers is the first Chelsea player to score on his Premier League debut since Christopher Nkunku in 2023 – and the first to create five chances in his first league appearance since records began in 2003-04.

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It was also the first time Chelsea supporters sang the new Rogers chant in the away end.

Like Palmer, Joao Pedro missed out on the World Cup – as a high-profile omission from Brazil’s squad – but returned in pre-season with eight goals in seven games.

It was no surprise to see him on the scoresheet so early in the Premier League campaign, having inherited the number nine shirt from Liam Delap, who was left out of the squad on Monday, following the contract extension the Brazilian signed this weekend.

“Great combination, great quality,” Alonso told BBC Match of the Day when asked about his front three.

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“We know if we reach them [Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer] in good positions, they have this talent to create special things and I am very happy the three forwards have scored.

“We need to put them in the best situations. I am happy for the three of them. They played for the team.”

‘Sanchez will undermine everything they do’

Yet questions remain over Sanchez, who allowed King’s low strike to go straight through him for Fulham’s equaliser and then tamely parried Timothy Castagne’s shot into a dangerous area for Garcia to head in from close range to set up a nervy finish.

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“They have strengthened in every position of the pitch but you cannot take a chance on goalkeepers,” said Neville.

“I’ve said before it’s the most difficult position on the pitch, it’s the one that carries the most scrutiny and if you have got a goalkeeper who’s making mistakes and is anxious, it will undermine everything you’re trying to do.

“It’s a problem. You’ve got to say it’s a problem.”

There was nowhere to hide for Sanchez.

King’s equaliser in the 23rd minute had an expected goals on target (xGoT) value of just 0.05, making it the lowest-rated shot to result in a goal during the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

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In other words, Sanchez really should have saved it.

He did make a number of other saves, but he also conceded a corner after failing to clear the ball before it ran out of play and was later unconvincing when coming off his line to deal with a long ball, with Antonee Robinson missing the target to let him off the hook.

While Alonso defended his goalkeeper after the game, in his pre-match news conference on Thursday, he said: “The pitch is the boss of everything. I don’t decide. The players need to show me.”

That message applied to his goalkeepers – Sanchez and number two Mike Penders, 21, who is waiting to make his debut after returning from a successful loan spell at Strasbourg.

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With the transfer window still open, many Chelsea fans will be asking whether the club need a new first-choice goalkeeper.

As Carragher said: “They have to sort the goalkeeping issue out because it’s going to come back and haunt them again this season as it did tonight.”