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Gonçalo García marked his Fulham debut with a goal as the new signing gave the hosts a second-half lifeline.
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Chelsea’s Morgan Rogers also scored on his first appearance for the club, making his debut an important one.
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Chelsea twice took the lead before Fulham fought back, but the visitors held on for a 3-2 Premier League victory at Craven Cottage.
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Chelsea held on for a 3-2 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage after a match in which both clubs saw their new signings make an immediate impact.
August 24, (THEWILL) — Morgan Rogers opened the scoring for Chelsea, while Gonçalo García later got Fulham back into the game with a goal on his debut. Both players gave their new supporters something to celebrate, even though only one side would leave with the points.
Chelsea had to wait until the 41st minute to take the lead.
Maxence Lacroix created the opening, with Cole Palmer playing the key pass before Rogers arrived in the right position to finish from close range.
For Rogers, it was an encouraging start to life at Chelsea. The new signing did not need long to make his presence felt, putting his name on the scoresheet in his first appearance for the club.
Fulham had enjoyed plenty of possession before the goal and continued to look dangerous after falling behind.
Their persistence paid off when Joshua King brought them level. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was unable to deal cleanly with the situation, allowing Fulham to take advantage and make it 1-1.
Chelsea still looked dangerous whenever they moved forward, with Palmer heavily involved in their attacking play. The visitors also came close through Romeo Lavia, but Bernd Leno was able to keep Fulham in the game.
Chelsea went into the break with the match still evenly balanced.
The visitors came out strongly after half-time and regained the lead in the 49th minute.
Joao Pedro created the chance and provided the assist, with Palmer finishing with his left foot to make it 2-1.
Fulham, however, had another answer.
Five minutes later, their own new arrival stepped forward.
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Gonçalo García headed home from close range after Jorge Cuenca’s cross found him inside the Chelsea penalty area, bringing Fulham back to within a goal.
It was another memorable debut moment, this time for the Fulham signing, who gave the home side fresh hope at a time when Chelsea were beginning to look in control.
From there, Fulham pushed hard for an equaliser.
The hosts enjoyed the majority of possession during the second half and repeatedly looked to get the ball into dangerous areas. Ryan Sessegnon tested the Chelsea goalkeeper, while Joshua King and Antonee Robinson were also involved as Fulham searched for a third goal.
Chelsea responded by making several changes, bringing on Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandez, Estevao and Geovany Quenda as they tried to manage the final stages.
The visitors were forced to defend for long periods, with Fulham continuing to send crosses into the box.
There were also some nervous moments for Chelsea. Reece James was booked for pulling down Joshua King, while Timothy Castagne received a yellow card after stopping a Chelsea counter-attack.
Fulham kept pushing into stoppage time, but Chelsea’s defence managed to deal with the pressure.
Quenda had a late effort saved, while Fulham could not find the finish they needed to complete their comeback.
Chelsea therefore left Craven Cottage with a 3-2 victory.
For Fulham, the defeat will be disappointing given the amount of possession and pressure they had, particularly in the second half. But there was at least a positive to take from the performance, with García making an immediate contribution on his debut.
Chelsea will be happier with the result, although they were made to work for it.
Rogers’ goal gave the new signing a strong start to his Chelsea career, while García produced a similar moment for Fulham.
In a game where both clubs’ new arrivals found the net, it was Chelsea who ultimately had the final say.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
