Three things we learned from Chelsea win as Xabi Alonso facing familiar problem

If this was anything to go by, Chelsea will be a thrilling watch this season.

A 3-2 victory over Fulham in Xabi Alonso’s first competitive match in charge was a promising start to his tenure but also exposed defensive kinks he and Chelsea will need to iron out if they are make a success of the campaign after all their summer spending.

The performance of the front three of Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and new £117million signing Morgan Rogers was by some distance the headline point of positivity for Alonso and his staff — and some goalkeeping howlers unquestionably the sour point on opening night.

It was some start that they made. As one of the debutants Maxence Lacroix headed the ball clear and it was picked up by Palmer, the Englishman pirouetted, put Joao Pedro through, and the Brazilian showed such sharpness in dinking the ball over Bernd Leno and into the net.

Chelsea had produced a lead after only 31 seconds of the match, and in doing so had broken a Premier League record.

It was the earliest goal a team had ever scored in their opening game of a Premier League season and perhaps indicated it could be an exhilarating and routine win for Chelsea on the Thames. The former, it was. The latter, not so much.

Quick off the mark: Joao Pedro Getty Sanchez under scrutiny amid unconvincing defensive performance While Lacroix produced some fine one-on-one defending and Josh Acheampong made a fair few crucial last-ditch interceptions, there was no denying Chelsea’s defending was lacking at Craven Cottage.

Levi Colwill was fortunate that Lacroix was covering him for an early challenge such that when he lost control and overstretched, the foul was punished with a yellow rather than red.

Yet Chelsea were punished more sternly when Josh King’s effort from range beat goalkeeper Robert Sanchez at his near post, the effort far from good enough to deserve a goal but Sanchez unable to keep it out.

Tough day at the office: Robert Sanchez AFP/Getty Fulham rained shots on the Chelsea goal in a manic game where the visitors were never able to make their superior quality show enough to get out of sight of their hosts. And Sanchez was suspect again for Fulham’s second goal.

Timothy Castagne’s shot was parried by Sanchez when the goalkeeper ought to have pushed it wide. Instead, right into the path of Gonzalo Garcia, who nodded in to half Chelsea’s lead so soon after they had doubled it.

Work for Chelsea to do, and a performance from Sanchez that will invite questions in the goalkeeping department of a club who have said they are happy with their goalkeepers as they are .

Alonso’s winning start came courtesy of his front three clicking — a front three that includes Chelsea’s record signing, £117million man Rogers.

Rogers was quiet initially — allowing Palmer and Joao Pedro to combine, instead, for that immediate opener — but he grew into his Chelsea debut and was on the score sheet when he arrived late to slam home.