Xabi Alonso led Chelsea to a 3–2 victory over Fulham on the final day of the 2026–27 Premier League opening round.
Chelsea won at Craven Cottage on Monday 24 August 2026, with Alonso beginning his competitive Chelsea tenure with three points. The match was the last of the ten opening-round fixtures and produced the round’s highest total of five goals.
Alonso was appointed Chelsea manager in May 2026 after a celebrated playing career and coaching work in Spain and Germany. His arrival was part of a wider managerial change across several major Premier League clubs before the new season.
Fulham were led by Álvaro Arbeloa, another former professional defender beginning a new Premier League managerial chapter. The names are easy to mix up because both managers had strong Spanish football backgrounds, but Alonso was in Chelsea’s dugout and Arbeloa was in Fulham’s.