Chelsea started the Xabi Alonso era with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage, with Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer all finding the net.
Joao Pedro needed just 31 seconds to open the scoring after Palmer released the Brazilian behind Fulham’s defence.
Josh King equalised for the hosts midway through the first half, beating Robert Sanchez at his near post after collecting Timothy Castagne’s pass.
Watch Fulham 2-3 Chelsea highlights
Chelsea regained the lead before the interval when Morgan Rogers marked his competitive debut with a goal following a delivery from fellow summer signing Maxence Lacroix.
Palmer added Chelsea’s third shortly after the restart, finishing from Joao Pedro’s pass to complete an impressive performance from Alonso’s attacking trio.
Gonzalo Garcia reduced the deficit after Sanchez spilled an effort into the forward’s path, but Chelsea survived late Fulham pressure to secure all three points.
Sky Sports’ match report details how Palmer, Rogers and Joao Pedro combined throughout an entertaining west London derby.
Alonso had explained his plan for playing Palmer and Rogers together before kick-off, and both rewarded the Chelsea head coach with goals in his first competitive match.
Chelsea player ratings vs Fulham: Palmer shines, Sanchez gets 4
Chelsea player ratings vs Fulham: Palmer shines, Sanchez gets 4
Chelsea’s £117m Morgan Rogers scores debut goal against Fulham – WATCH
Chelsea’s £117m Morgan Rogers scores debut goal against Fulham – WATCH