Palmer shines as Chelsea secure Alonso's winning debut against Fulham

At Craven Cottage on a late August afternoon, a new chapter began for Chelsea as Xabi Alonso stepped into the managerial role with a 3-2 victory over Fulham — a result shaped less by tactical perfection than by the individual brilliance of Cole Palmer, whose goal and assist embodied the creative force a team needs when the season's first test arrives. In football, as in most human endeavors, beginnings carry a weight disproportionate to their moment, and this one suggested that something worth watching may be taking shape.