Xabi Alonso was Chelsea’s manager when Chelsea beat Fulham 3–2 on the 2026–27 Premier League opening weekend.
The match was a west London derby at Craven Cottage on Monday 24 August 2026. Chelsea won the five-goal contest, giving Alonso a victory in his first Premier League match as the club’s manager.
Alonso had previously been associated with elite European football as a player and coach, but this appointment placed him in charge of Chelsea’s 2026–27 campaign. His opposite number that evening was Álvaro Arbeloa, who managed Fulham.
The two names are easy to mix up because both are Spanish former defenders and both began the season in London. Alonso led Chelsea, while Arbeloa led Fulham; the managerial pairing did not represent one club’s coaching staff.