Fulham vs Chelsea LIVE: Record signing Rogers and Palmer score in first win of Alonso era

Cole Palmer has been through some tough times of late but looked back to his best today.

By registering an assist just 30 seconds into this campaign he equalled his record for the entirety of last season, one in 1,965 minutes.

• Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
• Hull 2-0 Manchester United
• Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace
• Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland
• Nottingham 0-1 Leeds
• Brentford 3-0 Tottenham
• Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa
• Manchester City 2-1 Bournemouth
• Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool
• Fulham 2-3 Chelsea

But Chelsea were also exposed defensively and Sanchez was twice punished for mistakes as Fulham fought back.

Asked how ready he was for this season, he jokes: “Did you not watch the game? I’m only joking, I’m ready. It was a difficult season with injuries and whatnot but through the summer and since I’ve been back I’ve worked extra hard.

“Obviously with the injuries I’ve had to try and prevent them and work extra hard day in, day out. I know the talent I’ve got so I can put in performances like that.”

“Normally I’m not an emotional person, the people who know me know I’m not usually bothered about things in life, but over the summer I rested, I recharged and yeah, I’m ready and I’m hungry.”

“They’ve added an experience player in centre back, centre midfield and centre forward.

“I don’t know if Emi Martinez is available or not but someone like that needs to come in at Chelsea, because that [goalkeeper issues] will undermine everything they do.

“The positives for Fulham came from the encouragement Sanchez gave them with the goals. The goals were both mistakes. It’s a problem.”

“There were things to really like. On paper, that [Chelsea] front three is sensational. It really is. It looked it in the game. I think Joao Pedro is fantastic. Rogers’ first game, what a start. But when you think of him, Palmer and Pedro – that’s as good as anything in the Premier League right now.

“But I do think [there are] concerns defensively. They conceded a couple of goals and you look at the goalkeeper. They have to sort the goalkeeper issue out because it’s going to come back to haunt them this season, as it did tonight.”

“The attacking play, Cole Palmer, sensational. If you talk about Cole Palmer getting back to his best you’ve got a £120m-£125m player there.

“Rogers getting a goal. Those two being electric with Joao Pedro up front. The front three were brilliant tonight. One of the best things I’ve seen this weekend.”

Xabi Alonso got his Premier League managerial career off to a winning start as Chelsea overcame local rivals Fulham in a five-goal thriller.

Here’s how the players rated at Craven Cottage:

That was far from the perfect performance, but Chelsea fans will absolutely take encouragement from that display as the Xabi Alonso era officially begins.

They stood out in attack, with the trio of Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and record signing Morgan Rogers doing the business despite the Blues not having many real periods of sustained pressure.

The glaring problem, however, remains in between the sticks.