Xabi Alonso began his Chelsea reign with an entertaining 3-2 Premier League victory at Fulham on Monday, but goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s errors made for a nervous finish at Craven Cottage. Chelsea’s new front three supplied the goals, while questions over the goalkeeper remained after the final whistle. Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro all scored. Rogers, who joined from Aston Villa this summer in a club-record £117m move, combined quickly with Palmer and Joao Pedro. Joao Pedro opened the scoring after 31 seconds from Palmer’s pass, lifting the ball over Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. It was Chelsea’s fastest goal since October 2016. Josh King equalised for Fulham before Rogers restored Chelsea’s lead with a close-range finish before half-time. He became the first Chelsea player to score on his Premier League debut since Christopher Nkunku in 2023. Rogers also created five chances, the most by a player in a first league appearance since records began in 2003-04, and Chelsea supporters sang a new chant for him in the away end. He looked fit and powerful despite a shortened pre-season after England’s third-place finish at the World Cup. Palmer, who scored Chelsea’s third goal, looked closer to his best after 18 difficult months affected by a groin problem. The injury period ended with his omission from England’s World Cup squad. His assist for Joao Pedro already matched his Premier League assist total from last season. Palmer said he had rested and recharged over the summer and was “ready” and “hungry”. He is now two goals short of 50 in the Premier League. Rogers, Palmer’s former Manchester City team-mate, called him the best player on the pitch and his “best friend in football”. Palmer had said during Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Australia that he had a point to prove. His display against Fulham recalled his performance in last year’s Club World Cup final against Paris St-Germain. Joao Pedro, another high-profile World Cup omission after missing Brazil’s squad, returned in pre-season with eight goals in seven games. He has inherited the number nine shirt from Liam Delap, who was left out of Monday’s squad. Joao Pedro signed a contract extension this weekend. Alonso praised the combination of his three forwards and said they needed to “lead the rest” so that other players would follow. Sanchez, however, faced sharp criticism. King’s low shot went straight through him for Fulham’s equaliser, despite carrying an expected goals on target value of only 0.05. Sanchez later parried Timothy Castagne’s shot into a dangerous area, allowing Gonzalo Garcia to head in from close range. He also conceded a corner after failing to clear the ball and looked unconvincing when coming out for a long pass, with Antonee Robinson missing the target. Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher praised Chelsea’s front three, but Carragher said on Sky Sports that Chelsea “will never win the league with Sanchez in goal”. Neville said a goalkeeper making mistakes or looking anxious could damage what the side was trying to build. Alonso stressed collective responsibility after the match, though he had said before it that “the pitch is the boss” and players must prove themselves. Twenty-one-year-old Mike Penders is awaiting his Chelsea debut after a successful loan at Strasbourg, while the transfer window remains open. For Chelsea followers in Soomaaliya, including viewers in Muqdisho, Hargeysa and the diaspora, the appeal is clear: this side can create goals quickly, but its goalkeeper situation may keep every close match tense. Local fantasy-league players also have a concrete reason to be cautious about selecting Chelsea defenders until that position becomes more settled.