Can Chelsea win the Premier League? Xabi Alonso has one major problem to solve

Chelsea’s Premier League title hopes may depend on a simple question: can their attacking firepower outweigh their defensive weaknesses?

Xabi Alonso’s reign at Stamford Bridge began with an entertaining 3-2 victory at Fulham on Monday night, with Chelsea’s new-look front three providing plenty of encouragement.

Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer all found the net as Chelsea produced some outstanding attacking football at Craven Cottage.

But while Alonso will have been delighted with the way his forwards combined, there were also familiar concerns at the other end of the pitch.

Robert Sanchez made two costly errors that allowed Fulham back into the game, underlining an issue that could prove significant if Chelsea are serious about challenging for the Premier League title.

The early signs suggest Alonso has the attacking talent to cause problems for the best teams in the division. Whether Chelsea can become genuine title contenders could come down to what happens in their own penalty area.

Chelsea’s attack looks capable of troubling the best

Joao Pedro needed just 31 seconds to open the scoring, lifting the ball over Bernd Leno after being played through by Palmer. It was Chelsea’s fastest Premier League goal since October 2016.

Rogers then marked his league debut for the club by arriving at the far post to score before half-time, while Palmer completed the scoring early in the second half after a clever flick-on from Joao Pedro.

The three forwards appeared to complement each other naturally, with Palmer given the freedom to influence the game from an advanced position and Rogers providing power and direct running from the left.

“Great combination, great quality,” the Chelsea head coach said following the game.

“We know if we reach them [Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer] in good positions, they have this talent to create special things and I am very happy the three forwards have scored.

“We need to put them in the best situations. I am happy for the three of them. They played for the team.”

Palmer looks ready to make up for lost time

The England international has endured a frustrating 18 months after a groin problem disrupted his progress, with injuries making it difficult for him to reproduce the level he showed during his first season at Stamford Bridge.

Against Fulham, however, Palmer looked much closer to his best.

His assist for Joao Pedro came inside the opening minute and he was involved throughout, combining his creativity with an impressive work-rate before scoring Chelsea’s third.

Palmer also matched his Premier League assist tally from last season with the one he provided for Joao Pedro.

“I’m ready and I’m hungry,” Palmer said after the match, having used the summer to rest and recharge.

He is now just two goals away from reaching 50 Premier League goals.

If Palmer can stay fit and maintain the level he showed at Fulham, Chelsea have a player capable of deciding matches against the biggest sides in the division.

Rogers adds another dimension

Chelsea’s £117m club-record summer signing also made an immediate impact.

Rogers reunited with Palmer at Stamford Bridge after the pair previously played together at Manchester City, with the attacker describing Palmer as his “best friend in football”.

The England international’s first Premier League appearance for Chelsea produced a goal, five chances created and a performance full of pace and physicality.

He became the first Chelsea player to score on his Premier League debut since Christopher Nkunku in 2023 and the first Chelsea player to create five chances in his first league appearance since records began in 2003-04.

Rogers was particularly impressed with Palmer’s display.

“He had a difficult season with injuries and stuff last year – and you could see it in his eyes in pre-season and training that he’s ready this year and ready to prove people wrong,” Rogers said.

“You saw that with that performance. He was the best player on the pitch by a mile and that’s what he does. It’s good to have him on our side.”

With Joao Pedro also arriving in excellent form, Chelsea suddenly have an attacking unit capable of causing serious problems.

The Brazilian scored eight goals in seven pre-season games before continuing his run against Fulham.

The challenge for Alonso is now making sure that attacking quality is supported by a defence capable of competing consistently at the other end.

Robert Sanchez remains a concern

For all the positives, Chelsea could easily have left Fulham with fewer than three points.

Sanchez was responsible for two mistakes that gave the hosts a route back into the game.

Josh King’s powerful effort should have been saved, but Sanchez was beaten at his near post to allow Fulham to equalise.

He then spilled another effort into the path of Gonzalo Garcia, who finished to make it 3-2.

Chelsea ultimately held on, but the performance highlighted why there are still questions surrounding the goalkeeper.

Alonso refused to single Sanchez out after the match, instead stressing that improvement has to come from the entire team.

“It’s not about talking about individuals, their situations. It’s about understanding what it takes,” Alonso said.

“For sure, the first goal we can do better than that. But it’s a process. It’s day one. And normally it’s easier to learn with three points.”

That will be the message Alonso will hope to reinforce throughout the opening weeks of the season.

Can Chelsea actually win the Premier League?

It is far too early to make definitive predictions after one league game, but Chelsea have already shown two very different sides of their game.

Palmer appears refreshed, Rogers has immediately settled into the side and Joao Pedro has continued the form he showed during pre-season.

If those three remain fit and continue to develop their understanding, Chelsea should have enough creativity and goals to compete with the league’s leading teams.

The bigger question is whether they can become more reliable defensively.

A title-winning team cannot afford to give opponents repeated opportunities to score, particularly in matches where the margin for error is so small.

“We need to accept and learn from them [the mistakes],” Alonso said after the win. “This is going to be a process.

“All the lines, from the strikers, the midfielders, the defence, the goalkeepers, we want to do better in everything.”

The attacking foundations look extremely promising, but if Chelsea are to turn early optimism into a genuine Premier League title challenge, Alonso must find a way to make his side considerably more dependable at the other end.

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