Xabi Alonso’s tenure as Chelsea manager began with a high-scoring 3-2 Premier League victory against west London rivals Fulham on Monday. While the result provided a positive start for the new boss, the match highlighted a stark contrast between the team’s potent attacking threat and their defensive vulnerabilities.
The highlight of the evening was the performance of Chelsea’s new-look front three. Morgan Rogers, who arrived in a club-record £117 million summer transfer from Aston Villa, made a standout debut alongside Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro. All three players found the back of the net, with Palmer appearing to regain his top form following a challenging year that saw him miss out on England’s World Cup squad.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports, praised the trio as being “as good as anything in the Premier League right now.” However, Carragher was less complimentary regarding the team’s defensive stability, bluntly stating that Chelsea “will never win the league with Sanchez in goal.”
Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez struggled throughout the contest, with two individual errors directly contributing to Fulham’s goals, which were scored by Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia. These lapses have renewed scrutiny over the goalkeeper’s position in the starting lineup.
Addressing the performance, Alonso emphasized that his attacking unit must “lead the rest” so that the “other ones will follow.” Regarding the defensive errors, the Spaniard urged his squad to maintain a collective perspective.
“We need to accept and learn from them,” Alonso said, noting that the team’s development is an ongoing process. “All the lines, from the strikers, the midfielders, the defence, the goalkeepers, we want to do better in everything.”
