Palmer stars to give Alonso dream start against fellow PL newcomer Arbeloa’s side

0:06Thanks for joining us on the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. A West London derby took centre stage on Monday night football as Fulham played Chelsea at Craven Cottage. Here is how the evening unfolded.

0:30Sanchez more than that.

0:34So it's Alonso over Harbeloa in the end. As Chelsea's new dawn begins with a win. An entertaining match at Craven Cottage. One in which Chelsea showed their attacking flair. Through an old face in Cole Palmer. And a new face as well in Morgan Rodgers. It was Raul Pedro who gave them the lead after 30 seconds. Fulham did fight back in the game once through Josh King and also in the second half as well through another of their new men Gonzalo Garcia but they've been undone in this West London derby by their old rivals it is Chelsea who take this tonight and a lot for them tonight but a lot to look through as well in this one and the final score in an entertaining match at Craven Cottage Fulham 2 Chelsea 3 Great start for Xabi Alonso he is up and running as Chelsea manager, Gary Neville, what would he have liked about what he saw, do you think?

1:42Gary Neville:The attacking play Cole Palmer, sensational if you're talking about Cole Palmer getting back to his best, he's got a£120-125 million player there and Rodgers getting a goal and those two just being electric with Xao Pedro up front, the front three were brilliant tonight and one of the best things I've seen this weekend. Do you think that's a little bit of a warning for everybody else, Jamie? Yes, there was things to really like. I think we said before the game, on paper, that front three is sensational. It really is, but it looked it in the game. I mean, I think João Pedro was fantastic. Listen, Morgan Rodgers' first game, what a start.

2:16But when you think of him, Palmer and Pedro, that's as good as anything in the Premier League right now. But I do think those concerns defensively. You know, they can see a couple of goals, you look at the goalkeeper, but also didn't deal with the direct play of Fulham really well in the second half. A lot of balls getting in behind them. But listen, it's a new sort of system, new manager. But as I said, what they've got at the top end of the pitch, but they have to sort the goalkeeping issue out because it's going to come back to hold them again this season, as it did tonight.

2:45Gary Neville:They've added an experienced player in each of the sort of what will be positions, centre-back, central midfield and centre-forward. And look, I don't know if Emi Martinez is available or not, someone like that needs to come in at Chelsea because that will undermine everything that they do the positives from Fulham came from the fact that the encouragement that Sanchez gave them with the goals that's where the positives from Fulham came their best periods after they scored their goal and the goals were both mistakes and look, he's patting him on the back because he won it's a problem you've just got to say it's a problem food for thought no doubt for Xavi Alonso and big learning as well for Alvaro Oberlo, I remember both of these two young managers making their way here.

3:30Their first game of Premier League football in charge. And no doubt, yeah, some big learnings here this evening. But that is very definitely a different Cole Palmer. We just did not see that Cole Palmer at that level last season for injuries and fatigue.

3:47Gary Neville:Maybe being left out of the World Cup. I mean, I'm not saying he's going to get angry like a type of guy. But it would have embarrassed him. he'll have been watching that World Cup in the summer watching those other lads, watching Jude Bellingham do what he was doing and thinking I cannot afford to get this wrong, this is my career it's now and I've got to deliver and I hope that's the start of a new wave of what will be performances because he's absolutely unbelievable to watch. It's going to be a lot of fun isn't it watching Chelsea this season with Cole Palmer with João Pedro and Morgan Rodgers the new signing who excelled on his debut as well

4:25So, Arsenal starting it off. The defending champions beating Coventry 3-0. Important wins for Hull City back in the big time against Manchester United for Everton. 2-0 winners over Crystal Palace. Fellow promoter side Ipswich, 2-1 winners over Sunderland. Leeds United starting with an away win at Forest, Brentford. 3-0 winners over Spurs. and it might well have been many more. Then on Super Sunday, Brighton thumping Aston Villa, Manchester City nicking it late on against Marco Rosa's Bournemouth, Newcastle 2, Liverpool 2, thanks to that 99th-minute equalising penalty from Dominic Soboslai and five goals shared here at Craven Cottage, three going to the winners, Chelsea.

5:13And I can hardly wait till next weekend. Six more live games for you across the weekend, starting on Friday night with Crystal Palace taking on Manchester City Saturday. Another look at Spurs and Newcastle from five. And then Sunday again, we've got three games now from two o 'clock. Build-up starting at 12.30 and then all two o 'clock kickoffs. Chelsea back in action against Brighton. It's Leeds up against Brentford, Sunderland against Fulham. And at four o 'clock, Manchester United play Ipswich. And next Monday night, we are watching the champions as they go to Aston Villa. Difficult start to their season.

6:006.30 as ever. We are on air. And original drama, Fightland, set in London's boxing scene, is starting on Thursday on Sky Atlantic.

6:18Plenty of blows traded in this West London derby tonight. Fulham floored in the end by three goals from Chelsea in their new-look strike force. Fulham certainly played their part, but the addition of Morgan Rodgers, Cole Palmer excelling, and Giorgio Pedro made that it wasn't too shabby tonight for Alonso.

7:08SIGH SCHOOL Sky Sports to find out more. That's not bad, you know. Do you reckon I could get on the telly? Don't push it. Well, there goes that dream. You're listening to the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. Let's get back to the studio for more reaction to today's game.

7:29But João Pedro in already want to start this Kavima Chelsea. Incredible.

7:38Lacroix pulls it back surely. from Morgan Rogers. And Chelsea's record-breaking signing makes his first mark. And here is Palmer. Class. Cole Palmer back to his best. Winning start for Chelsea and Cole Palmer with the Midas touch tonight looking back to his best. That is for sure at Craven Cottage on this season opener. Three to it finish. Great game. 32 shots across the piece, 12 of them on target. Possession was interesting. 61 % went to Fulham. So that's Chelsea 20 % down on their average across last season. But passes per shot would indicate that that was possession with real purpose. Just 21 per shot they had this evening.

8:31And it wasn't just Cole Palmer. He's got a new partner in crime in Morgan Rogers. helping Chelsea to beat Fulham 3-2 and give Xavi Alonso that winning start. Let's hear from the pair. Palmer and Rodgers with Emma Saunders. Well, congratulations to the both of you. Cole, how big a win is that to kick off your season?

8:55Gary Neville:Yeah, it's important. Away game first is always tough, but yeah, the boys, we dug in and got a win, yeah. A goal and an assist. You've beaten one of your rivals. You're playing alongside one of your best mates. I mean, football, it doesn't get much better than that, does it? Obviously not. When you grow up, you know, you want to play, you want to do anything with one of your best friends, and especially playing football at the highest level. Yeah, it feels surreal, so it's nice. It's a moment that you've both talked about for a long time, isn't it? Did it live up to expectations, Morgan? Yeah, it was really nice, obviously.

9:27Gary Neville:Something that we've spoken about for a while, we've done it, obviously, on an international level, but to do it for club day in, day out, and week in, week out, it's an honour, really. So, yeah, it's really nice and it's just a start. A dream debut as well, to score, to hear the fans already chanting your name. How good does that feel? Yeah, it's nice. You want to settle in as quickly as possible, get integrated with the squad and with the fans and to feel that affection in the first game and obviously to score is a really nice moment for me. Is he going to have the bailiffs knocking tomorrow morning with that celebration?

9:57Gary Neville:No, he's called the man. Just how good was this man tonight? Yeah, well, everyone knows how good he is. Obviously, he had a difficult year with injuries and stuff last year. You can see in his eyes in pre-season and in training that he's ready this year and he's ready to prove people wrong. You saw that with that performance. Best player on the pitch by a mile and that's what he does. It's good to have him on our side. Will you tell us, how ready are you this season? Did you not watch the game? No, I'm only joking. I'm ready. As you said, difficult season with injuries and whatnot. But through the summer and since I've been back, I've worked extra hard.

10:35Gary Neville:I don't see my injuries that I had to prevent them from happening again. And when I work hard day in and day out, then I know the talent I've got. So I can point in performances like that. It's not just the physical side, I suppose. You've had a lot of mental rest too. Has that made you perhaps the most hungry you've ever been out there now? Yeah, normally I'm not really an emotional person. I'm stuff like that. People who know me don't, I'm not really too bothered about things, many things in life. But yeah, I was over the summer I rested. I was recharged. I was telling him come Chelsea. But yeah, now I'm ready and I'm hungry.

11:10How much of an influence of Alonso do you think we've seen so far tonight in that performance?

11:15Gary Neville:I think bits of it, of course, but there's still a long way to go. There's still things that we need to learn and get better and improve at, but it's a start, it's a positive start. We're trying to implement his ideas in the way he wants to play. It's a process, it takes its time, especially with new players integrating as well. But yeah, as I said, you want to start off well and with a good platform, when we did that, so we're happy. Well done to both of you tonight. Morgan, brilliant debut, but if you wouldn't mind doing the honours on this occasion, Cole, you are the player of the match. Well done.

11:42Gary Neville:There you go, mate. Thanks. Nice one. Thank you. I'm sure he'll be returning the favour before the season is out. I wonder if Chelsea are onto something here, not just two great talents, but also two great friends playing together. I mean, can you imagine playing with Gary on your career? Gary and Phil, yeah. No, but it looks like a real genuine friendship. you'd always feel like two strikers, they're always looking after themselves maybe, or people at the top end of the pitch. But I genuinely do think that, you know, they will be setting each other up all season, scoring goals and not taking too much into it about who's got the goals or the assists.

12:14Exciting potential between those two as a partnership and for Chelsea all round. Let's speak to the manager, Xavi Alonso. Off to a winning start. Xavi, congratulations. How relaxed were you watching that second half? Relaxed. You don't really get relaxed when you are just half a lead of one goal. It has been really, really intense games. We know what it takes to win away games. But we have managed well to suffer, to compete, to do whatever it takes in certain moments. And that's why it feels great, these three points. What did you really like about your team tonight, Xabi? For sure it helped, the early goal helped to get confidence.

13:05I think that we have had a few chances to score the second one before their equaliser, but we were quite stable, we were quite comfortable even without the ball, and we were a threat that the three strikers, they were combining well, creating chances, and at the end to know that to win games away, you need to roll your sleeves and to fight and to defend your goal. It's something that we need to do for the future as well. And today's first day, I think it's a good first day for us. Xavi, Chelsea finished 10th last season. I'm sure you'll think there's a bit of a way to go before you can really compete for the biggest trophies and get Chelsea back to maybe really competing and winning Premier League titles.

13:52But in terms of your front three, I think even looking at that and just the names and watching them play over the last few years, they're as good as anything in the Premier League. I mean, how much talent is there and how much do you actually think of Cole Palmer, especially since you've been working with him? Well, I think that overall the squad is balanced and we need to have good foundation from the back, from the middle to connect with these players, with the special players. They need to have the freedom, but as well they need to be responsible for the team to accept that responsibility. Once they get the flow, they connect well.

14:34We know that they can create many chances. They have this talent, but not just talent, they have good teamwork. So yeah, they have got a good start. but we need to help them. It's not that to rely everything on them. The whole team needs to have stability, to have control, to have quality, to have toughness, to reach them in the best possible positions. Xavi, just looking at your team for the first time tonight, the way you set up, in the first 20 minutes you won the ball high up four times and then for the rest of the game you only won it three times and a lot of the time you're actually going back into a 5-4-1.

15:14Was that a deliberate ploy or was that something that Fulham were pushing you back? It was the plan. Whenever we, especially the first 20 minutes, we have recovered a few times the ball. After, for sure, there has been a period in the first half when we haven't chosen right where to defend, in which spaces, and then when we struggle. But after that, maybe the second half, after you need to defend a little bit deeper. but to choose when the moments and the heights to press, it's important. And with the ball, we have good transitions.

15:53Gary Neville:Xabi, you were sensational going forward tonight. It was incredible to watch, but it was a more difficult night for Robert Sanchez, the goalkeeper. You were talking to him at the end. What words did you have of comfort for him? This is all about the team. It's not about talking individual situations. It's about understanding what it takes. 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. I mean, we've only got one week left, Jabby, of the transfer window. You've been active, very active already. Do you anticipate more incomings before that window is closed?

16:37I would love to be already closed the window, but it is what it is. So we need to be ready for whatever situations you never know in football. So let's see. All right, Xabi. Congratulations getting that first victory. And thank you very much for speaking to us. Thank you. Xabi Alonso, doing all that really he could hope for with Chelsea tonight, getting that first victory at Craven Cottage first up. your question Gary to him about the goalkeeper he's got Mike Penders there who's in reserve as well and was at Strasbourg last season and he's a young goalkeeper I think 21, a lot is talked about him being the successor would you have expected him to answer that question differently that you asked him?

17:22Gary Neville:No I mean look I felt like I had to ask the question about the goalkeeper and couched it in such a way which obviously we saw him speaking to him at the end and sort of put his arm around him it's undeniable Xavi Alonso has been brought in as the manager of the football club, not as the coach. And when you're managing a football club, and I know from the manager that I played under, you have to make some pretty brutal and ruthless decisions. And they've strengthened every single position on the pitch. In the forward areas, they've brought brilliant players in. They've brought Danny Welbeck and his experience in midfield.

17:51Gary Neville:They've obviously got John Henderson that's come in along with obviously very good players already in there. And they've got defenders that have come in. You cannot take a chance with the goalkeeper. I've said before, it's the most difficult position on the pitch. it's the one that carries the most scrutiny it's the one that if you have got a goalkeeper that's making mistakes and is anxious it will undermine everything that you're trying to do and I think in the next seven or eight days Xabi Alonso may have to just make a decision that he needs to bring in an experienced goalkeeper because his job is to be successful for Chelsea and it may be that he sticks with Robert Sanchez but I think he has to protect himself Well we're not saying anything we haven't said for the last two or three seasons unfortunately, listen, he's consoling them but Chelsea will never win the league but Sanchez in goal impossible it can't happen and you think of the teams we've won the title the last three teams we've won the title have all changed the goalkeeper so you think of Pep bringing Ederson in now Joe Hart had won the league but he made a decision this goalkeeper's not going to be they brought Claudio Bravo in first and then he was brutal with him so he brings Ederson in it makes a big difference to win the league Alisson comes in for Liverpool Liverpool win the league Arsenal don't win the league if they have Ramsdale in goal not rare impossible So one of the biggest reasons why Arsenal won the league last year was rare.

19:04They wouldn't have won the league without them. You can go back through history. Every team who wins the league have got, I would say, 99 times out of 100, the manager has made a big decision in terms of, I need to go and get my goalkeeper who can win me the league.

19:18Gary Neville:So why would he not, Gary? No, Dave, look, I've got experience of this. In my first period of my career at United, we had Peter Schmeichel in that for six or seven years, and the differences are normal. And then we had a period of about four or five years where we think we only won maybe one league in maybe five seasons when Jose, Arsene Wenger, Rafa Bieters were at Liverpool as well. But it was that period where it was really tough. And we had a mixture of goalkeepers in and around that time that were very good goalkeepers. But it's a massive personality. It's a massive character. It's a brilliant goalkeeper that wins a Premier League title or a league title.

19:49Gary Neville:And then we brought Edwin van der Sar in and everything felt normal again. And I just think that that back line of Chelsea's isn't perfect. But I think if they've got a goalkeeper behind them that's making them slightly more nervous, it's going to be a bigger problem and exacerbate it. And I'm saying this quite calmly because we're talking about a human being here, but the reality of it is Chelsea do need a goalkeeper. And it's one thing that I'm surprised that they've not dealt with in this transfer window because it has been coming this for a couple of years. We've said goalkeeper, we've said centre-back and we've said some experience down the spine, haven't we?

20:19Gary Neville:And he's dealt with most things, but that's the last piece, I think. Because clearly they have so much quality now at the top end of the pitch. Jamie, you just said one of the best top threes, front threes that's now in the Premier League. But wasn't it interesting to hear from Cole Palmer there talking about the emotion that he felt this summer and the hunger that perhaps he's got back for the game that maybe went missing last season? Yeah, maybe. Listen, you'll look for reasons why it didn't happen for him. I always think it's difficult to play really well or at your best when the team's really struggling.

20:47So, you know, Chelsea finished 10th last season, so probably not an easy environment to be at your absolute best. But I felt in his first 18 months at Chelsea, a couple of years, he was good as anybody in the Premier League at that time. And he's had a drop-off for the last 12 months, maybe a little bit more. But there's certain things players do, and I think special players do. Don't forget, he scored in a final for England when he came off the bench. He absolutely took PSG apart, who were the best team in the world, by a mile 12 months ago, was it, or maybe a little bit more, in the Club World Cup.

21:17Didn't just score a goal against them, he was the best player on the pitch by a mile. that lad for me talent wise is as good as anybody in this country and he was the one where when you look at Thomas Tuchel's squad there was lots of claims about certain players he was the one that I thought he needs to go he should have been taken Gary what will Thomas Tuchel

21:36Gary Neville:think watching this tonight because no doubt he will be he made a decision look maybe it's the best thing that's ever happened to Cole Palmer because maybe his career is just drifting a little bit and he gets a massive kick up the backside and sometimes my dad used to say to me sometimes you need a kick up the backside and a reminder in life that you've got to basically retain that hunger every single minute of every single day. And there's points in your career. I had a point midway through my career where I just sort of performed, dropped off for about a year and a half. And all of a sudden you just get a reality check and you realise things don't come easy and you've got to maintain that standard.

22:05Gary Neville:And that tonight was the old Cole Palmer that we were used to seeing a couple of years ago, or a year or so ago. And he's unbelievable to watch. It is brilliant to see a player. That's the best performance I've seen all weekend. It makes you smile every time you watch someone like that. And he's a brilliant player. Yeah, it makes you think, what they can achieve with this front three of Cole Palmer, now joined by his mate Morgan Rodgers and Joao Pedro, who had some fabulous touches as well this evening, of course. Scored that goal after just 31 seconds, which we will see again when we come back and again.