After Chelsea secured a 3-2 victory over Fulham on Monday, manager Xabi Alonso highly praised the club's 'special' forwards. These players—Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, and João Pedro—helped the team begin their managerial period with a win.
Alonso noted that his decision to give Rogers, Palmer, and Pedro freedom against the Fulham defense brought an ideal start. Pedro opened the scoring just 31 seconds in, capitalizing on a pass from Palmer.
Rogers demonstrated that he justifies the high price tag of 117 million pounds that Chelsea paid for him from Aston Villa, making him the most expensive British player in history. The English star scored the second goal, confidently converting a shot after Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez made a mistake, allowing Fulham to equalize through Josh King.
Palmer joined the successful players after the break, scoring a goal from a tight angle and taking the score to 3-1. This spectacular match sharply contrasted with the sluggish performances of the team under Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior last season.
Alonso stated: 'We posed a threat. The three forwards interacted well and created chances.' He added that the squad is balanced, and the 'special players' should have freedom but also bear responsibility for helping the team. The coach acknowledged the talent of players capable of creating many opportunities but stressed: 'This is a good start, but we cannot rely only on them. We need control, quality, and resilience.'
Previously, Alonso was sacked by Real Madrid in less than eight months. The former Liverpool midfielder aims to prove his worth by trying to replicate the success Bayer Leverkusen achieved with an unexpected German title in 2024.
'Chelsea' had to overcome a second error by Sánchez, which led to Gonzalo García's goal, before Alonso could celebrate his debut victory in the tense West London derby. Alonso commented on the game: 'It was a really tense game. We suffered, we fought, we did everything possible at certain moments.' He also noted that the early goals helped boost the team's confidence, and they had to 'roll up their sleeves and fight for their goal' at the end of the match.
Palmer also has a chance to silence skeptics after a disappointing season that led England national team manager Thomas Tuchel to exclude him from the World Cup squad. After seeing his good friend Rogers, he looked refreshed. Both Manchester City academy graduates celebrated their goals with a signature 'icy' gesture, which Palmer popularized by borrowing it from Rogers.
Palmer shared his thoughts: 'When you grow up, you want to play or do something with your best friends, so playing football at the highest level seems surreal.' Acknowledging his desire to return to top form this season, he added: 'You didn't watch the game? I'm joking! I am ready. It was a difficult time due to injuries and other things, but over the summer and since then, I have worked very hard. I know my talent, so I can deliver such performances.' When asked if he wants to silence critics, Palmer replied: 'I'm usually not an emotional person. People who know me know that I usually don't worry about things in life, but over the summer I rested, recharged, and yes, I am ready and hungry.'