The London derby at Craven Cottage delivered an incredibly thrilling encounter, culminating in a hard-fought 3-2 victory for Chelsea. This match marked the first showdown between the two new managers, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa.
The visitors opened the scoring within just a minute of kick-off as Cole Palmer assisted Joao Pedro, who coolly slotted the ball into the net. Fulham clawed back parity in the 23rd minute, thanks to a precise delivery from Timothy Castagne that found Joshua King, who finished with aplomb. Just before half-time, the Blues regained the lead when newcomer Morgan Rogers connected with a pass from Maxence Lacroix in the 41st minute.
In the early moments of the second half, Cole Palmer extended Chelsea's advantage, converting a pass from Joao Pedro to make it 3-1 on 49 minutes. Fulham hit back just five minutes later as Gonzalo Garcia Torres narrowed the deficit with a well-placed header. In the final stages, Chelsea's coaching staff sought to refresh the team, introducing Enzo Fernandez, Yorrel Hato for Pep Chavarria, Pedro Neto, Giovanni Kendu, and Estevao. Despite a late flurry and some dangerous attempts from Rodrigo Muniz and Ryan Sessegnon, Xabi Alonso's side managed to hold on to their lead until the final whistle from referee John Brooks.
