--- title: "Xabi Alonso wins on debut: Chelsea beat Fulham in a dramatic 3-2 at Craven Cottage" description: "Xabi Alonso secured his first win in charge of Chelsea: the Londoners beat Fulham 3-2 in the Premier League's opening round. Mudryk was left out of the squad, while Pedro and Palmer each scored a goal and provided an assist." date: 2026-08-24T21:16:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/chelsea-fulham-alonso-debut-premier-league-3-2 tags: [chelsea, fulham, premier-league, xabi-alonso, mudryk, joao-pedro, palmer, football] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Xabi Alonso wins on debut: Chelsea beat Fulham in a dramatic 3-2 at Craven Cottage ![Chelsea players in blue kits celebrate a goal against Fulham at Craven Cottage in Xabi Alonso's debut match](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/24/chelsea-fulham-alonso-debut-premier-league-3-2/chelsea-fulham-alonso-debut-premier-league-3-2-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Chelsea beat Fulham 3-2 in the opening round of the 2026/27 Premier League at Craven Cottage - Xabi Alonso recorded his first win as Chelsea's head coach - Mykhailo Mudryk was left out of the matchday squad; the injured Henderson and Fofana also did not play - Goals were scored by: Pedro (1'), Rogers (41'), Palmer (49') for Chelsea; King (23'), Garcia (54') for Fulham - In the second round on 30 August, Chelsea will host Brighton, while Fulham will travel to Sunderland The final match of the opening round of the 2026/27 English Premier League season became a triumphant debut for Xabi Alonso as Chelsea's head coach. At Craven Cottage, the London "Blues" secured a come-from-behind, dramatic victory over Fulham with a score of 3-2, marking the first win of the new manager's career. The match was truly spectacular: five goals, three scorelines that changed within 54 minutes, and a final whistle that went in the visitors' favour. Notably, Ukrainian midfielder Mykhailo Mudryk was absent from Chelsea's squad for this game, as were the injured Jordan Henderson and Wesley Fofana. ### Match flow: from Pedro's lightning goal to Palmer's saving strike Chelsea did not wait long and opened the scoring in the very first minute of the match. Cole Palmer set up Joao Pedro for a one-on-one with Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno, and the Brazilian calmly converted the chance, beating the opposition keeper. The hosts, however, did not let the visitors relax: in the 23rd minute, Joshua King equalised, bringing the intrigue back into the match. It seemed the first half could end in a draw, but Morgan Rogers restored the "Blues'" lead four minutes before the break — in the 41st minute. In the second half, Joao Pedro "repaid the debt" to Palmer, delivering an assist in the 49th minute, and the score became 3-1 in Chelsea's favour. Fulham did not give up: in the 54th minute, Gonzalo Garcia, after waiting for an error by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, scored his debut goal for the "Daggers" and narrowed the gap to one goal. Nevertheless, the hosts failed to force an equaliser, and the final score was 3-2 in Chelsea's favour. ### Alonso's squad decisions: Mudryk left out of the squad The main squad decision by Xabi Alonso ahead of his debut match was the exclusion of Mykhailo Mudryk from the matchday squad against Fulham. The Ukrainian midfielder did not even make the extended list of players, which sent a signal that the new Chelsea manager does not yet see a place for him in the starting lineup. In addition to Mudryk, the injured Jordan Henderson and Wesley Fofana did not take part in the match. Thus, Alonso had to build the game with a limited squad, which, however, did not prevent his team from winning. The photo captures the moment of Chelsea's goal celebration — players in blue kits perform their signature crossed-arms movement, while the stands at Craven Cottage are filled with spectators. ### Round two: Chelsea host Brighton, Fulham travel to Sunderland On 30 August at 16:00 Kyiv time, the second round of the Premier League kicks off. Xabi Alonso's Chelsea will host Brighton at Stamford Bridge, while Fulham under Alvaro Arbeloa will travel for an away match against Sunderland. For Alonso, this will be his first home game as head coach, and the "Blues'" fans will be hoping for a continuation of the winning streak started at Craven Cottage. For Mudryk, by contrast, the second round could become a chance to make his case and reclaim a place in the first team. ### Context of the opening round: Newcastle and Liverpool nearly caused an upset Apart from the London derby, the opening round of the 2026/27 Premier League was also marked by the Newcastle vs Liverpool match, which, according to the source, turned out to be tense: Andoni Iraola's team "narrowly avoided an away defeat". Thus, the opening round of the new Premier League season gave fans several intriguing confrontations, and Alonso's winning debut at Chelsea became, perhaps, the main storyline of the weekend for London and Ukrainian football fans. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [A brilliant debut: Xabi Alonso records his first win in charge of Chelsea](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/skraviy-debyut-habi-alonso-zdobuv-pershu-1787606003.html) - Основной постматчевый источник. Содержит полный счёт, авторов голов с минутами, информацию о заявке и кадровых решениях, а также расписание 2-го тура. Все факты статьи взяты из данного источника. - [Premier League. Fulham vs Chelsea. Match preview and prediction for 24.08.2026](https://profootball.ua/754880-apl-fulhem-chelsi-anons-i-prognoz-matcha-na-24-08-2026/) - Предматчевый анонс. Подтверждает дату матча (24.08.2026), участников и стадион. Не содержит постматчевых данных, противоречий не выявлено. - [Fulham vs Chelsea: where to watch the match on 24 August 2026](https://www.livesport.ru/football/2026/08/24/fulham-chelsea-smotret-onlain/) - Предматчевый материал. Подтверждает дату и участников. Противоречий с основным источником нет. - [Chelsea prepare for Fulham: prediction, tactics and team news](https://chelseablues.ru/news/chelsi_gotovitsja_k_fulkhehmom_prognoz_taktika_i_novosti_komand/2026-08-23-153961) - Предматчевый материал от 23.08.2026. Подтверждает контекст подготовки команд. Противоречий не выявлено. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What was the score in the Fulham vs Chelsea match in the opening round of the Premier League? **A:** The match ended in a 3-2 victory for Chelsea. Goals were scored by: Joao Pedro (1'), Morgan Rogers (41'), Cole Palmer (49') for Chelsea; Joshua King (23'), Gonzalo Garcia (54') for Fulham. ### Q: Did Mykhailo Mudryk play in the match against Fulham? **A:** No, Mykhailo Mudryk was not included in Chelsea's squad for the match against Fulham. In addition to him, the injured Jordan Henderson and Wesley Fofana did not play. ### Q: When will Chelsea play their next Premier League match? **A:** In the second round of the Premier League, Chelsea will host Brighton at Stamford Bridge on 30 August 2026 at 16:00 Kyiv time. ### Q: Who became Chelsea's head coach ahead of the 2026/27 season? **A:** Xabi Alonso became Chelsea's head coach, recording his first win in his debut match in charge of the team by beating Fulham 3-2.