There are plenty of takeaways from Chelsea’s first Premier League game under Xabi Alonso, but the biggest one is that their games will be must-watch every single week.
On Monday night, Alonso’s Chelsea faced west London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage and served up an extremely disjointed defensive performance with six defenders in the starting XI, but an electrifying attacking showing with the dazzling Cole Palmer at the centre of it all.
There were two new managers in the dugout and two managers who know each other very well in Alvaro Arbeloa and Alonso, who both managed Real Madrid last season, with the former replacing the latter after he lost a power struggle with Vinicius Junior and several key players.
Everyone is in agreement that Alonso’s failed spell at the Bernabeu – as a manager, not a player – was not a reflection on him as a manager or coach, but down to a disjointed dressing room full of egos unwilling to press opposition defenders.
There will be no such power struggle at Stamford Bridge as Alonso inherits a younger dressing room that will no doubt be in awe of him as a manager and former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Spain midfield general.
Chelsea appointing Alonso has rightly been viewed as a massive coup, especially with Liverpool lurking in the background, after an abysmal 2025/26 campaign that left the club without European football this season.
Alonso’s appointment as Chelsea manager, not head coach, is significant. He has overseen some important summer additions, including much-needed experience in the form of Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson, as well as a £117million British-record deal for Morgan Rogers.
Rogers’ addition sees the Blues form one of the best front threes in Europe alongside Joao Pedro, the club’s new number nine, and Cole Palmer. All three registered goal contributions in their opening-day victory at Fulham, but it was Palmer who stole the show.
After registering only one assist across the entirety of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Palmer set up Pedro for Chelsea’s opening goal a mere 31 seconds into the new campaign, the quickest ever goal on matchday one of a Premier League season. It was a lovely combination between two players with a chip on their shoulder after their respective World Cup snubs from England boss Thomas Tuchel and Brazil’s Carlo Ancelotti.
But for all of Chelsea’s flowing attacking play, there was some extremely disjointed, erratic defending… and goalkeeping.
We regret to inform you that, for the fourth season in a row, Chelsea’s biggest problem is staring them right in the face: Robert Sanchez. Or, as Jamie Carragher calls him: The Goalkeeper.
Josh King’s shot was strong but not in the corner and was hit low at Sanchez’s front post. It was simply a save he had to make and he managed to get nowhere near it, completely stunned by the Fulham player’s decision to shoot.
Sanchez is clearly the most easily upgradeable player in Alonso’s starting XI – he might be the most upgradeable starter across the entire ‘Big Six’. The fact Chelsea have not signed a goalkeeper is beyond belief. And we have been saying this for at least three years.
Somehow, The Goalkeeper lives to play another season in the Chelsea goal, and he might be the main reason the Blues don’t truly push Arsenal this season, because without European football clogging up the schedule, many feel they will be the champions’ closest rivals.
Sanchez is not alone, though. Fulham laid bare Chelsea’s defensive issues without doing anything particularly impressive.
Chelsea, as they have done for a while, seem one kick away from everything going Pete Tong. Levi Colwill let the ball roll under his feet and received a self-inflicted yellow card, while Jorrel Hato and Sanchez were both suspect at times when trying to play out.
But for every Sanchez blunder, there was a Palmer dribble or pass to bring your smile back. He was a delight to watch in what was comfortably his best league performance since 2023/24, if not 2022/23.
In Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 system, Palmer can be what Florian Wirtz was for Leverkusen. The current Liverpool man registered 81 goal involvements in 119 games under the Spaniard and we can expect Palmer to hit similar numbers if he continues playing this way.
He is one of many reasons to tune in to every Chelsea game under Alonso, because who doesn’t love watching a player play like that? It’s almost as entertaining for a neutral as watching calamitous defending and/or goalkeeping, which, if the 3-2 win over Fulham is anything to go by, there will be plenty of as well.
On a weekend full of tributes to the late Kevin Keegan, Chelsea have established themselves as the Premier League’s new entertainers.