Cole Palmer was the standout performer in an exhilarating London derby as Chelsea defeated Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage. The match also marked the official Premier League debut of Xabi Alonso as head coach of the Blues. Palmer, who finished 25th in the 2024 Ballon d'Or voting and 8th in 2025, demonstrated sublime synergy in the attack alongside Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers.
It took Palmer just 31 seconds to turn the tide of the encounter. Capitalising on a miscommunication after a high pass from Maxence Lacroix, the midfielder sliced through the Fulham defence and set up Joao Pedro, who opened the scoring. Fulham responded on the 23rd minute through a precise effort from Joshua King, slotting the ball into the near post past Robert Sanchez. However, just before half-time, on the 41st minute, Morgan Rogers connected with Lacroix's delivery at the far post to restore Chelsea's lead.
At the start of the second half, Palmer extended Chelsea's advantage further: on the 49th minute, Joao Pedro returned the favour, driving forward to assist Palmer, who calmly slotted the ball home for the third. Despite Alvaro Arbeloa's side pulling one back through Gonzalo Garcia on the 54th minute, Palmer's influential performance kept the pressure firmly on the opposition.
The England international played for 83 minutes, creating danger throughout, before being substituted for Estevao due to a minor injury sustained during a dribble. Chelsea secured all three points at the start of the 2026/27 season, with Palmer named man of the match for his impressive display.
