Rogers nets on debut as Chelsea survive Sanchez errors against Fulham

Xabi Alonso was reminded that nothing is ever straightforward at Chelsea when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez added to his showreel of mistakes

Summer signing Morgan Rogers scored Chelsea's second goal against Fulham. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.

Premier League: Fulham 2 Chelsea 3

Morgan Rogers netted on his Chelsea debut as Xabi Alonso's first game as their new manager ended in a victory that ruined Alvaro Arbeloa's own Premier League bow as a boss.

Rogers, the €137m summer recruit from Aston Villa, struck just before half-time after Joao Pedro had got the Alonso era off to a flying start with a goal after just 31 seconds.

Cole Palmer reminded everyone of his quality - and perhaps England manager Thomas Tuchel in particular - with a classy third.

But the man fired by Real Madrid last season was reminded that nothing is ever straightforward at Chelsea when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez added to his showreel of errors by allowing Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia to net for the hosts, who kept the derby on a knife edge until the final kick.

Alonso's first team selection was a mini saga in itself. Rogers starting was no surprise but not so the relegation of Enzo Fernandez, one of Chelsea's other €100m men, to the bench even though Moises Caicedo, his usual midfield partner, was unfit. Punishment for a summer of angling for a move away? Manchester City ignored Chelsea's deadline for a €140m sale but continue to lurk. The Argentinian was the last of the subs to saunter over to the away dugout and was 'serenaded' with boos by the Fulham faithful.

Arbeloa, who briefly took over from his long-time team-mate and pal Alonso at Real Madrid last term, handed instant debuts to young Spanish forwards Gonzalo and César Palacios and a minute's applause to mark the passing of Kevin Keegan, manager of a swashbuckling Fulham promotion side in the late 1990s, was followed by Pedro slotting Chelsea ahead barely half a minute after the first kick.

Levi Colwill headed a Fulham punt back through a non-existent midfield to Palmer, who instantly slipped in the Brazilian for a deft dink over home keeper Bernd Leno. What a start.

Fortune favoured Alonso when Oscar Bobb, let in by Colwill's poor touch, was cleaned out by the defender, who appeared to be very much the last man. Referee John Brooks' verdict? Yellow - and it was the same when Romeo Lavia clattered Calvin Bassey soon after.

Chelsea had lost at Craven Cottage last season when Liam Rosenior was freshly-appointed and in the stands - and the ghost of clangers past emerged on the quarter-hour mark when Sanchez dozily allowed a back pass to roll out for a corner.

Fulham were hardly secure at the back themselves and lived dangerously until King forced Sanchez into a parry from distance - and scored with his next attempt.

King took advantage of Rogers nodding off to allow a one-two with Timothy Castagne but well-hit through his low drive was there was no way Sanchez should have let it get through him at his near post.

Craven Cottage was rocking but Pedro volleyed narrowly wide at the other end as the momentum shifted again.

Leno denied Reece James then Lavia before Rogers made it 2-1 four minutes before the break. Fellow new boy Maxence Lacroix was the man who made it by accepting Palmer's pass, beating a man on the right of the box and then pulling back for the man Tuchel did take to the World Cup to fire home.

Palmer, with much to prove after his England World Cup omission, made it 3-1 four minutes into the second period. Rogers headed on Sanchez's clearance and Pedro was just inside his own half. The former Brighton man carried the ball into the danger zone before playing Palmer in to slot under Leno.

Sanchez soon showed the other side to his game again though by batting Castagne's shot straight to Gonzalo to nod straight past him off the turf. Game back on and more than half an hour to go.

Alonso was the first to roll the dice with a double change that brought Enzo into the fray, upping the decibel levels even further with his every touch booed by the home fans.

Fulham went close to an equaliser through the teenage livewire King, who skipped past challengers before shanking wide. King remained a nuisance though, with James having a go at him despite being booked for an obvious foul.

Even more obvious was Bassey's dive in the hope of a penalty as Enzo challenged. That too received a yellow.

Chelsea were fortunate when Antonee Robinson muscled his way goal-side of Josh Acheampong and lobbed over. Chelsea took off Palmer and Rogers and deployed Estevao, the pacy young Brazilian for the final few minutes.

Fulham kept up their pursuit of a leveller, with Sanchez denying substitute Ryan Sessegnon but it required a raised flag to rule out a Chelsea fourth through Pedro.

The visitors negotiated four added minutes to end the opening weekend ahead of Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa.

Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno 7; Castagne 7, Cuenca 6, Bassey 7, Robinson 6 (Muniz 82, 4); Berge 6 (Sessegnon 73, 5), Iwobi 6; Palacios 6 (Kevin 73, 4), King 8, Bobb 6 (Charles 67, 5); Gonzalo 7.

Chelsea (3-4-3): Sanchez 4; Acheampong 7, Lacroix 7, Colwill 6; Gusto 6 (Neto 76, 4), Lavia 6 (Fernandez 65, 6), James 6, Hato 6 (Chavarría 65, 5); Palmer 8 (Estevao 83, 4), Pedro 8, Rogers 8 (Quenda 82, 4).

Referee: John Brooks 6