Fulham vs Chelsea: Bassey and Iwobi handed new responsibilities as Blues front three sack the cottage

Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, and Morgan Rogers were on song, but poor goalkeeping from Robert Sanchez denied Chelsea a healthier goal margin in their 3-2 victory over crosstown neighbours Fulham.

Xabi Alonso rolled out his famed back three formation, and Arbeloa fielded his preferred 4-2-3-1, which handed interesting roles to Super Eagles duo Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey.

Bassey, wearing the captain’s band after Arbeloa highlighted his leadership qualities, played unconventionally at right centre-back, filling the absence of Joachim Anderson.

Iwobi, on the other hand, was tasked with dropping between the defence to help the Cottagers build up from behind, as Isaac Cuenca failed to be as authoritative in bringing out the ball from left centre-back as Bassey could.

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Arbeloa’s side made a good account of themselves but were overpowered by a devastating attack whose performance 2.3 kilometres away from Stamford Bridge sent a strong message to title rivals.

The London derby was frantic from the opening whistle, featuring rapid transitions. Chelawa began with clear intent, with a clearance from Levi Colwill finding Cole Palmer, who instantly slipped João Pedro through to chip the ball into the net after just 31 seconds.

 Fulham’s Joshua King then drew the hosts level, capitalising on a bounding ball in the box that Robert Sánchez failed to deal with, smashing a shot past the diving Chelsea keeper.

 Chelsea regained control before the break. Maxence Lacroix surged forward and cut the ball across the box for Morgan Rogers to sweep home his debut goal.

 João Pedro then returned the favour to Cole Palmer, threading a pass that Palmer finished with a left-footed strike through Leno’s legs to make it 3-1.

 Real Madrid import Gonzalo García pulled one back for the Cottagers in the second half. He capitalised on another unconvincing parry from Sánchez, reacting quickest to nod the ball over the line from close range.

Fulham pressed for an equaliser, but Chelsea held on, closing out the game to ensure they began the season with a well-earned victory. 

Beyond the scoreline, the match highlighted multiple intriguing storylines for Chelsea. While the front three of Palmer, Pedro, and Rogers looks lethal, the goalkeeper position remains a glaring vulnerability for Alonso. 

Additionally, midfielder Enzo Fernández received noticeable boos from sections of the away support when he was introduced for Roméo Lavia in the 65th minute.

For Fulham, Álvaro Arbeloa can take positives from his team’s fighting spirit against top-tier opposition, but they leave empty-handed after their opening test of the campaign.