Morgan Rogers found the net 41 minutes into his first Premier League appearance for Chelsea
Published 24 August 2026
Morgan Rogers found the target on his Chelsea bow as Xabi Alonso’s team secured victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The £117m acquisition finished calmly to give his side their second goal, after Josh King had drawn Fulham level following Joao Pedro’s early strike, which arrived after just 31 seconds.
Cole Palmer believed he had wrapped up the points for Chelsea with a third goal early in the second half before debutant Gonzalo Garcia offered Fulham hope but the visitors clung on to begin the campaign with three points.
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Fulham ratings
Bernd Leno: The German goalkeeper could not be blamed directly for any of Chelsea’s goals but was still unable to prevent them. 5
Timothy Castagne: The right-back provided the assist for King’s goal and his effort led to Fulham’s second, though he found things difficult at the back. 6
Jorge Cuenca: His miscued clearance and poorly-timed challenge contributed to Chelsea’s opening goal. He was also responsible for the second, failing to cut out Lacroix’s cross. However, his lofted pass helped create Fulham’s second goal. 4
Calvin Bassey: Less responsible than many of his defensive colleagues, but still part of a below-par display at the back. 5
Antonee Robinson: The United States international made an important early block to deny Rogers and delivered an excellent cross later in the first half, but was frequently caught out position during counter-attacks. He sent a finish well wide with his weaker right foot in the 77th minute when through one-on-one with Sanchez. 6
Sander Berge: Found it hard to control the tempo as he had done during pre-season in a disjointed match. 5
Josh King: The academy product was Fulham’s best performer, creating chances and posing a threat before netting the first-half equaliser. Nearly produced an equaliser in the 73rd minute from distance. 8
Alex Iwobi: The Nigeria international offered a strong physical presence both defensively and going forward. 6
Oscar Bobb: The Norway international’s direct running caused issues down the right, although his impact diminished as the match progressed. 7
Gonzalo Garcia: On his debut, Garcia served as a useful target man in attack in a challenging afternoon for Fulham. He helped alleviate pressure after extended spells of Chelsea possession and was rewarded with a close-range header in the second half. 7
Cesar Palacios: The new arrival worked hard on his debut, but little went his way, including a long-range attempt that sailed over the bar in the first half. 5
Substitutes:
Shea Charles (on 67, Bobb): The arrival from Southampton delivered some dangerous long passes as Fulham pushed for an equaliser. 6
Kevin (on 73, Palacios): Did little to affect the outcome. 5
Ryan Sessegnon (on 73, Berge): His runs in behind posed a threat down the left and he forced a fine save from Sanchez. 6
Rodrigo Muniz (on 82, Robinson): 5
Substitutes not used: Lecomte, De Gougerolles, Tete, Reed, Kevin, Smith Rowe.
Chelsea ratings
Robert Sanchez: An early mistake with his kicking gave Fulham a corner. He should have kept out King’s equaliser at his near post, while his initial save for Fulham’s second was parried into a dangerous area, allowing Garcia to score. 3
Josh Acheampong: The 20-year-old executed an impressive double clearance and block in the 27th minute and appeared solid throughout. 6
Maxence Lacroix: Remarkably involved in both of Chelsea’s first two goals, with his headed clearance leading to the opener and his run down the right and cut-back providing the assist for Rogers. 7
Levi Colwill: An early error left him fortunate to only receive a yellow card after a foul on Bobb. He was also partly responsible for Fulham’s second goal after failing to deal with a deep cross. 5
Malo Gusto: The wing-back was a surprise pick amid Chelsea’s injury troubles, though his passing lacked conviction at times. 5
Romeo Lavia: Booked early on following a late challenge on Bassey. He grew into the contest, however, going close from a corner and distributing the ball well through midfield. 5
Reece James: Saw a miscued effort saved in the first half but gradually grew into the match and helped Chelsea gain control. 6
Jorrel Hato: Operating in an unfamiliar wing-back position, the defender produced a promising early dribble and adjusted well. 6
Cole Palmer: Simply the best player on the pitch. Palmer was inventive, physically strong and executed several superb dribbles before netting an excellent third goal. He appears refreshed after the summer break. 9
Morgan Rogers: An impressive debut. Pressed aggressively, had a shot blocked, set up Joao Pedro and then capped his display by scoring Chelsea’s second with a far-post finish. 8
Joao Pedro: Broke the deadlock after 31 seconds with a composed finish over Leno. He also intelligently exploited Fulham’s high defensive line to set up Palmer’s goal. 8
Enzo Fernandez (on 65, Lavia): The Argentine was jeered by the home supporters every time he received the ball and might not have featured had Moises Caicedo been available. Nevertheless, Fernandez moved the ball around and contested for possession. 6
Pep Chavarria (on 65, Hato): It was a difficult assignment for the wing-back but he contributed little of note during his brief debut appearance. 5
Pedro Neto (on 76, Gusto): 5
Geovany Quenda (on 82, Rogers): 5
Estevao (on 83, Palmer): 5
Substitutes not used: Penders, Barco, Gittens, Welbeck.
To build a good team, we need a great Cole
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Fulham (active)
Chelsea