Baghdad: Chelsea narrowly defeated Fulham 3-2 in their opening match of the 2026-2027 Premier League season at Craven Cottage on Monday evening. Joo Pedro opened the scoring for the Blues just 31 seconds into the game, a feat that Opta, the global statistics network, noted was the fastest goal ever scored in a Premier League opening round fixture.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, Joshua King equalized for the home side in the 23rd minute, before Chelsea regained the lead through Morgan Rodgers (41st minute) and Cole Palmer (49th minute). New signing Gonzalo Garca pulled one back for Fulham in the 54th minute.
Chelsea secured their first-ever opening-match victory in the English Premier League, having failed to do so in the previous three seasons (two draws and one loss). This win earned them their first three points in their quest for the title under the guidance of Spanish manager Xabi Alonso.
In contrast, Fulham have only managed to win their opening match once in their last seven Premier League seasons, a 1-0 victory over Everton in the 2023-2024 season.