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If football is won in both boxes, it seems as though Chelsea have one far better covered than the other.
Xabi Alonso began his Stamford Bridge reign with an entertaining 3-2 Premier League win at West London rivals Fulham on Monday – and their new-look front three stole the show.
Morgan Rogers, making his debut after his club record £117m summer move from Aston Villa, combined with Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro to produce a devastating attacking display.
All three scored, with Palmer in particular looking back to his best after a difficult year hampered by injuries, culminating in his omission from England’s World Cup squad.
At the other end, though, questions remain over goalkeeper Robert Sanchez after two errors contributed to Fulham’s goals from Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia.
Alonso said his front three needed to "lead the rest" so that the "other ones will follow".
But Sanchez has some catching up to do – and when asked about his mistakes, Alonso could only stress the collective responsibility of the team.
“We need to accept and learn from them [the mistakes],” said the Spaniard. “This is going to be a process.
“All the lines, from the strikers, the midfielders, the defence, the goalkeepers, we want to do better in everything."
After the match, ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher – a former team-mate of Alonso – said on Sky Sports that Palmer, Rogers, and Joao Pedro are "as good as anything in the Premier League right now"
He also said they would they "will never win the league with Sanchez in goal".
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It took Joao Pedro just 31 seconds to open the scoring, latching on to a pass from Palmer and lifting his shot over Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno for Chelsea's fastest goal since October 2016.
After King had equalised, Rogers then marked his debut with a goal before half-time by tapping in from close range.
But it was Palmer – scorer of Chelsea's third – who stood out most.
He has endured a frustrating 18 months since a niggling groin problem disrupted his sensational start to life at Stamford Bridge, highlighted by the fact he matched last season's Premier League assist tally by setting up Joao Pedro.
His trickery and creativity was on display throughout against Fulham, along with an impressive work-rate. This was more like the Palmer we saw during his first season at Stamford Bridge – and like the one who tore Paris St-Germain apart during last year's Club World Cup final.
“Over the summer I rested, I recharged and, yeah, I’m ready and I’m hungry," Palmer, who is now just two goals away from 50 in the Premier League, told Sky Sports.
He certainly looks refreshed.
During Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Australia, he spoke of having a point to prove and admitted a lengthy summer break felt unusual after featuring in major tournaments in each of the previous three years.
“Cole Palmer was sensational," said former Manchester United defender Gary Neville on Sky Sports. "Him and Morgan Rogers were electric with Joao Pedro – the front three were brilliant."
“That tonight was the old Cole Palmer. It was unbelievable to watch. One of the best things I’ve seen this weekend."
He also said they would they "will never win the league with Sanchez in goal".
Yet questions remain over Sanchez, who allowed King’s low strike to go straight through him for Fulham’s equaliser and then tamely parried Timothy Castagne’s shot into a dangerous area to set up a nervy finish.
It was also the first time Chelsea supporters sang the new Rogers chant in the away end.
Like Palmer, Joao Pedro missed out on the World Cup – as a high-profile omission from Brazil’s squad – but returned in pre-season with eight goals in seven games.
It was no surprise to see him on the scoresheet so early in the Premier League campaign, having inherited the number nine shirt from Liam Delap, who was left out of the squad on Monday, following the contract extension the Brazilian signed this weekend.
There was nowhere to hide for Sanchez.
King’s equaliser in the 23rd minute had an expected goals on target (xGoT) value of just 0.05, making it the lowest-rated shot to result in a goal during the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
In other words, Sanchez really should have saved it.
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Source: BBC Football
