Chelsea and Fulham entertained the rest of the Premier League on Monday as the Blues got their Premier League campaign off to a good start.
Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa were in the dugout for their new clubs, but it was Xabi Alonso who ended up winning his first game as a manager in English football.
Chelsea took the lead just 30 seconds in, after a loose floated pass from a Fulham defender was headed back into their final third, reaching Cole Palmer, who released Joao Pedro instantly, and the Brazilian striker lobbed Leno to open his account for the Blues this season.
Chelsea’s attack of Joao Pedro, Morgan Rodgers, and Cole Palmer were in tune as the Blues created a few half chances, but Fulham stood firm and grew into the game.
Josh King finally got his goal against Chelsea after he received the ball inside the box down the right angle of the 18-yard box and managed to blast a low-driven shot past Robert Sanchez near post.
Fulham kept getting good chances as they took advantage of Chelsea’s high line and the holes their defensive shape created.
However, the Blues scored the second goal just before halftime. New signing Maxence Lacroix found himself in the box after Palmer played him in down the right. The former Crystal Palace man beat his man and managed to slide in a pass down to the left, where another new signing, Morgan Rodgers, was left unmarked, and the former Villa man slotted the ball home for his first Premier League goal for Chelsea.
Chelsea could have scored more in the first half through Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer, but Pedro’s volley missed by an inch, while Palmer’s shots were blocked off.
However, both players linked up in the second half to extend Chelsea’s lead.
Joao Pedro was released on a counter-attack and was 1v1 against Timothy Castagne. The Brazilian held up the ball brilliantly before releasing Cole Palmer, who was running behind him, for the Englishman to tap home through the legs of Leno for 3-1.
From then on, Fulham took full control of the game, and within a few minutes, they created their second goal.
A ball floated in behind Chelsea’s defensive line was not properly defended, and that resulted in a shot for Castagne, which Robert Sanchez initially saved. However, Fulham’s new striker Gonzalo Garcia was there to head home on the rebound.
Chelsea let go of possession to defend their lead, but for large sections of the game, their defence looked too easy to breach, especially because their line was so high, and the state of their rest defence was full of holes that Fulham kept playing through.
Chelsea’s defensive shape is an old issue that has haunted a few managers they’ve had in the past three years. This is also coupled with the fact that Chelsea do not have a reliable goalkeeper who can command their defence, serve as a true defensive leader, and provide a solid last line of defence.
Chelsea need to invest in their squad, bring in a top-quality goalkeeper who will give the squad confidence, and bring in another top midfielder to help Chelsea keep control in the absence of Caicedo, as they were without the Ecuadorian yesterday.
