Fulham 2-3 Chelsea Player Ratings: Palmer shines

Chelsea's opening Premier League fixture under Xabi Alonso produced three points, three goals and plenty of talking points.

João Pedro gave Chelsea a dream start after just 31 seconds before Josh King equalised for Fulham. Morgan Rogers restored the visitors' lead before Palmer added a third shortly after half-time. Gonzalo García's debut goal set up a tense finish, but Chelsea held on.

Here is how the players performed.

Fulham player ratings

Bernd Leno - 5/10

Leno was not directly responsible for Chelsea's goals but was unable to prevent any of them. He had little opportunity to influence the outcome.

Timothy Castagne - 6/10

Castagne contributed to Fulham's attacking efforts, helping create King's equaliser and producing the shot that eventually led to García's goal. His defensive work was less convincing.

Jorge Cuenca - 4/10

A difficult evening. Cuenca's poor clearance contributed to Chelsea's opener and he failed to prevent Lacroix's delivery for Rogers' goal. His lofted pass did, however, help create Fulham's second.

Calvin Bassey - 5/10

Bassey was less exposed than some of his defensive colleagues but could not prevent Chelsea's front three from repeatedly finding openings.

Antonee Robinson - 6/10

Robinson made an important early block to deny Rogers and provided a dangerous cross. However, Chelsea's counter-attacks repeatedly exposed his positioning. He also missed a good late opportunity.

Sander Berge - 5/10

Unable to establish the control he showed during pre-season as Fulham struggled to dictate the midfield battle.

Josh King - 8/10

Fulham's standout performer. King caused Chelsea problems throughout the match, scored the equaliser and nearly produced a second with a long-range effort late in the game.

Alex Iwobi - 6/10

Iwobi offered energy and physicality in both directions, although Fulham struggled to maintain possession for long periods.

Oscar Bobb - 7/10

Bobb's direct running created problems for Chelsea early on. His influence diminished as the match progressed.

Gonzalo García - 7/10

An encouraging debut. García provided Fulham with a focal point and worked hard to relieve pressure before reacting quickest to Sánchez's parry to score.

César Palacios - 5/10

Worked hard but struggled to make a significant attacking contribution.

Fulham substitutes

• Shea Charles — 6/10: Provided some useful long passes as Fulham searched for an equaliser.
• Kevin — 5/10: Failed to make a significant impact.
• Ryan Sessegnon — 6/10: Added pace and movement behind Chelsea's defence and forced a save from Sánchez.
• Rodrigo Muniz — 5/10: Had limited time to influence the game.

Fulham player of the match: Josh King — 8/10

King was the clearest attacking threat for Fulham and remained dangerous even after Chelsea regained control.

Chelsea player ratings

Robert Sánchez - 3/10

A night to forget for the Chelsea goalkeeper. Sánchez should have done better with King's equaliser and his parry from Castagne's effort directly contributed to Fulham's second goal. His distribution was also shaky early on.

Josh Acheampong - 6/10

Produced an excellent double clearance and block during the first half and looked composed despite the pressure Fulham applied.

Maxence Lacroix - 7/10

A significant contributor to Chelsea's victory. Lacroix was involved in the build-up to the opener and then made an important attacking run before delivering the cross that Rogers converted.

Levi Colwill - 5/10

Colwill had an uncomfortable evening. He picked up an early booking and was partly responsible for Fulham's second goal after failing to deal with a deep delivery.

Malo Gusto - 5/10

Thrown into an unfamiliar situation because of Chelsea's injury problems. His passing was inconsistent, although he worked hard.

Romeo Lavia - 5/10

Booked early but improved as the match developed. He helped Chelsea move the ball through midfield and came close from a set piece.

Reece James - 6/10

After a quiet start, James gradually became more influential and helped Chelsea establish greater control.

Jorrel Hato - 6/10

Operating in an unfamiliar wing-back position, Hato showed encouraging attacking intent and adapted reasonably well.

Cole Palmer - 9/10

Player of the match.

Palmer was Chelsea's most influential player from start to finish. He combined creativity with direct running, repeatedly escaped pressure and scored an excellent third goal. After a difficult previous campaign, this was precisely the kind of performance Chelsea will want to see from their attacking talisman.

Morgan Rogers - 8/10

Outstanding debut.

Rogers pressed aggressively, created problems with his movement and nearly scored before eventually finding the net with a composed finish at the far post. His combination with Palmer and João Pedro was one of the biggest positives of Alonso's first competitive match.

João Pedro - 8/10

A dream beginning. Pedro scored after only 31 seconds and continued to exploit the space behind Fulham's high defensive line. His movement also helped create Palmer's goal.

Chelsea substitutes

• Enzo Fernández - 6/10: Received a hostile reception from the home crowd but remained composed and contributed to Chelsea's possession.
• Pep Chavarría - 5/10: Had little opportunity to influence the game after coming on.
• Pedro Neto - 5/10: Limited impact during his cameo.
• Geovany Quenda - 5/10: Came on late as Chelsea focused on protecting the lead.
• Estêvão - 5/10: Introduced in the closing stages with little time to make an impact.

Chelsea player of the match: Cole Palmer - 9/10

Palmer was the difference-maker. His creativity, ball-carrying and goal gave Chelsea an attacking edge throughout the contest.

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