Cole Palmer scored the winning goal in Chelsea’s 3–2 victory over Fulham on the 2026–27 opening weekend.
Palmer scored Chelsea’s third goal at Craven Cottage and helped secure a 3–2 west London derby victory. He also assisted Joao Pedro’s opener, making him directly involved in two of Chelsea’s three goals.
Joao Pedro scored after only 31 seconds, while Morgan Rogers added Chelsea’s second before half-time. Fulham responded through Josh King and Gonzalo Garcia, but Chelsea held on for the win.
The match marked a winning start to Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea tenure. It also began Álvaro Arbeloa’s first Premier League match as Fulham manager, making the derby a meeting of two new head coaches. Palmer was subsequently voted the league’s Player of the Matchweek by fans.