Chelsea's Front Three Shine in Alonso's First Win

Chelsea's new front three of João Pedro, Cole Palmer, and Morgan Rogers combined brilliantly in Alonso's first competitive match as manager. The trio's performance was particularly impressive given the context - Palmer was eager to prove his worth after missing out on England's World Cup squad, while Rogers marked his debut with a goal following his £117m move from Aston Villa. Even new center-back Maxence Lacroix (£52m) got in on the act with an assist.

Despite the win, Alonso identified areas for improvement, noting his side's lack of tactical intelligence and the need for a better goalkeeper than Robert Sánchez. Fulham, playing under interim boss Alvaro Arbeloa, will feel unfortunate not to have rescued a point after a bright start that suggests life could continue positively after Marco Silva's departure. rocore.sbs