Alonso Wins Debut as Chelsea Manager Against Fulham

Xabi Alonso kicked off his tenure as Chelsea's manager with a victory, triumphing 3-2 over Fulham at Craven Cottage in his debut match. The friendly fixture also marked the managerial debut for Fulham's Álvaro Arbeloa, a former teammate of Alonso's at Real Madrid.

Both managers, previously part of Real Madrid's coaching staff, faced off in a contest that saw Chelsea, who failed to qualify for European competitions last season, take an early lead through João Pedro just 31 seconds into the game. Fulham, however, equalized via Joshua King in the 32nd minute after a goalkeeping error by Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea regained the lead in the 41st minute with a goal from Morgan Rogers, who recently became the most expensive English player after a €137 million transfer from Aston Villa. Cole Palmer extended Chelsea's advantage shortly after halftime in the 49th minute, seemingly putting the game out of reach.

Fulham, however, mounted a comeback, reducing the deficit in the 54th minute with a goal from Gonzalo Garcia. The match highlighted Fulham's fighting spirit despite the eventual loss, and provided an early glimpse into Alonso's tactical approach with Chelsea.