Chelsea win 5-goal London derby in English Premier League

Match Summary

In the London derby played on the closing matchday of the opening week in the English Premier League, Chelsea defeated Fulham 3-2 away from home.

Match Details

In a contest bringing face-to-face two managers who succeeded each other at Real Madrid last season, Fulham found themselves back at the kickoff spot within a minute. Following the kickoff, Joao Pedro latched onto a pass from Cole Palmer—who pounced on a ball the home side's defense failed to clear—and entered the penalty area to finish one-on-one, putting his side 1-0 ahead in just the 31st second.

As Chelsea pressed forward in search of a second goal while Fulham struggled to contain Palmer in the box, Fulham came close through Joshua King in the 20th minute. The English player unleashed a powerful strike from just outside the penalty area, forcing goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to turn the ball behind for a corner with difficulty.

Three minutes after this chance, King linked up with Timothy Castagne to cut into the box from the right flank and found the back of the net with a low strike into goalkeeper Sanchez's near corner: 1-1.

In the 30th minute, Palmer floated a cross into the box from the right side, which Pedro met with a volley, but the shot dragged narrowly wide of the target.

Five minutes after Romeo Lavia fired straight at goalkeeper Bernd Leno when completely unmarked in the penalty box in the 36th minute, Morgan Rogers—signed by Chelsea for £117 million—took center stage.

Maxence Lacroix, who entered the penalty area from the right on a pass from Palmer and skillfully beat Jorge Cuenca with a body feint, whipped a ball to the far post that Rogers tapped in, sending Chelsea into halftime with a 2-1 lead to the chants of "Morgan Rogers" from the traveling supporters.

In the 49th minute, Palmer, who danced into the box with slick footwork and came close to scoring with a shot squeezed between Cuenca and Antonee Robinson, managed to double the lead within the same minute.

Latching onto a pass from Pedro on the left side of the Fulham penalty box, Palmer slotted the ball through goalkeeper Leno's legs into the back of the net: 1-3.

Fulham's response arrived 5 minutes later through Gonzalo Garcia, summer signing from Real Madrid. The 22-year-old player headed home the rebound after goalkeeper Sanchez parried a long-range effort from Castagne, scoring his first Premier League goal in a Fulham shirt: 2-3.

Pushing hard for an equalizer, Fulham missed the target in the 72nd and 78th minutes when King's shot from the edge of the box flashed just wide and Robinson failed to direct his chip on target in a one-on-one situation.

Under the management of Xabi Alonso, making his managerial return to the Premier League after 17 years, Chelsea emerged victorious 3-2 from an intense, high-tempo derby to kick off their season with 3 points.

Key Highlights

• Tournament: Premier League
• Related clubs: Chelsea
• News type: Football
• Certainty: The source did not provide a statement regarding the official status of the development.

Source

This news was compiled from information obtained from A Spor (published: August 25, 2026 00:05).

Original news: A Spor