Highlights
Key stats
- João Pedro scored after just 31 seconds, the fastest goal in the Premier League this season.
- Cole Palmer and João Pedro have now both scored three goals in six appearances in the Premier League against Fulham.
- Chelsea have now avoided defeat in their last seven matches when scoring first in the Premier League, since a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa on 27th December 2025.
- Fulham have scored in their last three games in the Premier League, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of three games from 24th January 2026 to 7th February 2026.
Analysis
Match report
Both Alonso and Cottagers boss Arbeloa were managing in their first PL match after arriving in the summer, and they had barely taken their seats when Chelsea took the lead after just 31 seconds.
Levi Colwill sent a Fulham clearance back where it came from and Palmer fed João Pedro, who dinked a lovely finish over Bernd Leno to register the earliest-ever goal scored by a team in their opening game of a PL season.
It saw Palmer already match his assist tally for the 2025-26 campaign, and he fired a shot straight at Leno shortly after.
Both teams looked nervous at the back, with Robert Sánchez particularly shaky, and the Chelsea goalkeeper should have kept out Josh King’s 23rd-minute equaliser when the Fulham midfielder’s drilled effort flew inside his near post.
The Cottagers were suddenly on top and Josh Acheampong made a vital block to deny summer signing Gonzalo García a debut goal.
However, Chelsea wrestled back momentum and Pedro volleyed just wide, before Leno made himself big to thwart Roméo Lavia at point-blank range.
The Blues regained the lead four minutes before HT as the two summer signings in the starting lineup combined, with Maxence Lacroix cutting the ball back to £117m recruit Morgan Rogers, who fired low into the net.
Palmer increased the advantage four minutes after the interval when he was played in behind by Pedro and finished coolly through Leno’s legs, with all but one of his last 11 goals for Chelsea coming before the hour mark.
However, it took the hosts just five minutes to halve the deficit as Sánchez parried Timothy Castagne’s shot straight at García, who nodded into the net via the crossbar to continue a run that has seen all seven of his career league goals come at home.
The lively King almost beat Sánchez again 18 minutes from time, but this time his low shot skidded past the post.
Antonee Robinson was next to go close as his lob over Sánchez bounced wide, but the Cottagers could not prevent a fourth successive defeat in season-opening London derbies in the PL.
Pedro had a goal disallowed for offside in stoppage time, but it mattered not, as the Blues claimed their first opening-day win since 2022, and their seventh victory in their last nine visits to Craven Cottage (L2).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)