Chelsea secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Fulham in a thrilling Premier League encounter after making a blistering start to the match.
The visitors took the lead after just 31 seconds when Cole Palmer found Joao Pedro, who calmly finished one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
The goal was Chelsea’s fastest in Premier League history and the quickest opening goal scored by any team at the start of a Premier League season.
Chelsea continued to dominate possession and press aggressively, creating several opportunities without adding to their lead. Reece James saw a powerful effort blocked, while Palmer and Morgan Rogers were unable to capitalise on promising shooting chances.
Fulham gradually recovered from the early setback and began putting Chelsea under pressure. Josh King emerged as a threat and levelled the contest in the 23rd minute with a shot that Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez will have been disappointed not to save.
The equaliser gave Fulham confidence, and the hosts pushed for a second goal. Chelsea were forced into several emergency clearances during a difficult spell but managed to regain their composure.
The visitors restored their control and eventually regained the lead through Rogers, who scored his first Chelsea goal after impressive work from new signing Maxence Lacroix.
Chelsea started the second half strongly and extended their advantage in the 49th minute. Palmer made amends for an earlier missed opportunity by finishing from a tight angle to put Chelsea 3-1 ahead.
Fulham refused to surrender, however, and reduced the deficit just five minutes later following another error in Chelsea’s goal.
The hosts then applied sustained pressure as they searched for an equaliser, but Chelsea defended resolutely to preserve their advantage.
Both managers made several substitutions during the final 20 minutes as the match became increasingly tense. Fulham appeared to benefit more from their changes and pushed Chelsea back, but the visitors held firm to claim all three points.
Chelsea thought they had added a fourth goal late in the game when Joao Pedro found the net again, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
The victory gives Chelsea an important three points from an entertaining five-goal contest, while Fulham will feel they had chances to earn a share of the spoils.
