5 Things Learned From Chelsea's 3-2 Win vs Fulham In Premier League

Chelsea came through a chaotic west London derby at Craven Cottage on Monday night, beating Fulham 3-2 in a game that flattered neither defence but told us plenty about where this side is heading.

After Moises Caicedo and Marco Palestra’s surprise exclusions, which were later revealed to be due to setbacks suffered earlier in the week, Chelsea managed to overcome Fulham despite the absences.

Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Tosin Adarabioyo were also excluded from the squad as the club look to finalise permanent exits, while Mykhailo Mudryk did not feature ahead of a potential loan move.

Joao Pedro opened the scoring with a gorgeous dink, only for Josh King to level at the near post after Robert Sanchez's weak hand let the ball through him.

Morgan Rogers restored the lead before the break, tapping in at the back post after brilliant work from fellow debutant Maxence Lacroix to give the Blues the lead going into the half.

Cole Palmer, who impressed, looked to have settled it when he squeezed a third through Bernd Leno's legs after impressive play from Pedro, but Sanchez's second error of the afternoon handed Gonzalo García a rebound to head home and Chelsea spent the closing stages hanging on.

Three points is three points as the Blues start with a victory under Alonso, but this was a win that raised as many questions as it answered.

Here are five things learned from Chelsea's win against Fulham in their opening game of the new league season.

Two goals conceded from two goalkeeping errors says it all.

The first was the more damaging. King's effort from a tight angle at the near post was the sort of shot a Premier League goalkeeper is expected to smother, with 'The xG Philosophy' stating that a goalkeeper would be expected to save the strike 97 per cent of the time. Instead, it went straight through Sanchez and over the line.

The second was less egregious but no less costly - a parry pushed back into a dangerous area rather than away from it, and García was alive to the rebound. Luckily for Sanchez, Chelsea's attack proved their worth.

The frustrating part is that this is not new. Sanchez has been living on the edge of these moments for years now, and the margin for error has shrunk considerably given who is sitting behind him. Mike Penders has arrived with a big reputation following a loan move at Strasbourg and is waiting patiently for a chance to make a case for himself.

That chance comes against Luton on Thursday. If the Belgian goes and gets a clean sheet and a couple of confident claims off crosses, the noise around the number one shirt becomes very difficult to ignore even this early into the season. Goalkeepers rarely lose their place after one bad afternoon, but they do lose it after a run of them, and Sanchez has a catalogue of errors in his Chelsea career.

With Wesley Fofana suspended, there was an obvious opening in the back three and an equally obvious candidate to fill it. James has played on the right side of a three before, does it well and would have been the low-risk selection. He was not picked there. Instead, the gap was filled by Josh Acheampong, and James started in midfield, where he featured in pre-season - although this could have been impacted by Caicedo’s absence.

It reads as a decision of intent rather than a one-off tactical tweak. James has the range of passing to dictate from deep, the physicality to protect the back line, and crucially, the position keeps him away from the repeated sprints and full-throttle recoveries that have wrecked so much of his career. There is a strong argument that midfield is where his body survives longest.

The dink was the goal of a striker who is entirely comfortable with the pressure of Chelsea's number 9 shirt.

The Blues have burned through centre-forwards for the best part of a decade, and the pattern is always similar: an expensive arrival, a difficult start, a growing sense that the shirt weighs more than the player can carry, but Joao Pedro shows none of that. He came into this fixture with confidence after a fantastic pre-season and took his early chance with the kind of composure that Chelsea fans dream of seeing.

What separates him from others is that his game does not live or die on goals alone. He dropped in to link; he pressed well with Palmer and Rogets, and he created for the runners around him.

The finish, though, is what stands out. A dink under pressure requires a striker to have already decided what he is going to do before the ball arrives. That is not a man cowering under the weight of the shirt; that is a man who knows he belongs in it, and perhaps Brazil's number 9 shirt too.

Palmer, Pedro and Rogers scored all three between them and looked genuinely dangerous every time Chelsea moved forward.

Palmer's goal was classic Palmer: he looked up to see where his teammates were, then went alone and converted with a shot through Leno's legs that only a player with total belief attempts. Rogers' was the opposite: a poacher's finish, arriving at the right moment to convert after Lacroix's excellent work. Between them, they offer completely different routes to a goal, and that variety is what makes the trio so awkward to defend against.

Three goals away from home in a derby is a good evening by any standard. If Chelsea can keep these three fit and playing together for a sustained run, the goals will not be the problem this season.

Chelsea need to resolve the Enzo Fernandez situation quickly

When Fernandez first came on, it was a mixed reaction from the Chelsea away end. Some applauded and cheered, whilst others showed their dissatisfaction with the Argentine.

It is becoming hard to ignore, although Fulham’s home crowd contributed to the majority of the booing, particularly what would have been picked up on television.

With Manchester City circling and no public clarity forthcoming from the player as of yet, the atmosphere around Fernandez is delicate.

Fernandez needs to make things clear. He is clearly open to a reunion with Enzo Maresca at Man City, but all summer long it's just been speculation after speculation.

As Chelsea’s players celebrated with the away fans at full-time, Fernandez made his way off the pitch, with Malo Gusto already down the tunnel.

Not much time is left now in the window, and soon Fernandez’s future will be decided one way or another. Good news for him, but most importantly for Chelsea.