Fulham 2-3 Chelsea: Match Report, Goals, Stats and Ratings
Premier League Matchday 1 · Monday 24 August 2026 · Craven Cottage, London · referee J. Brooks · full time
Full time: Fulham 2-3 Chelsea
Chelsea beat Fulham 3-2 in Premier League Matchday 1 on Monday 24 August 2026 at Craven Cottage. The goals: João Pedro 1', Josh King 23', Morgan Rogers 41', Cole Palmer 49', Gonzalo García 54'.
How Chelsea won it
João Pedro put Chelsea ahead in the 1st minute, set up by Cole Palmer. Fulham levelled at 1-1 in the 23rd minute through Josh King, set up by Timothy Castagne. Morgan Rogers made it 1-2 to Chelsea in the 41st minute, set up by Maxence Lacroix. Cole Palmer made it 1-3 to Chelsea in the 49th minute, set up by João Pedro. Gonzalo García made it 2-3 to Fulham in the 54th minute.
It was 1-2 at half-time.
The referee, J. Brooks, showed 5 yellow cards: 2 to Fulham and 3 to Chelsea.
Fulham: Á. Arbeloa Coca, 4-2-3-1 · Chelsea: X. Alonso Olano, 3-4-2-1.
Moneyball's prediction against the result
Moneyball did not publish a pre-match estimate for this match, so there is nothing to mark it against.
Why it went this way
On the day the expected goals were 1.92 for Fulham and 1.51 for Chelsea.
Chelsea made more of their chances than the xG suggests, by about 1.5 goals.
Fulham had 6 shots on target, Chelsea 6.
Fulham had 62% of the ball, but Chelsea took the points.
Where the two sides stood before this match
Fulham came into it with 5 Premier League matches played, scoring 1.0 and conceding 1.6 a match, with 1.66 expected goals for and 1.56 against, and had won 0% of their matches.
Chelsea came into it with 5 Premier League matches played, scoring 2.0 and conceding 2.4 a match, with 1.55 expected goals for and 1.71 against, and had won 40% of their matches.
Fulham vs Chelsea: the match in numbers
| Fulham | Match statistics | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| 62% | Ball possession | 38% |
| 1.92 | Expected goals (xG) | 1.51 |
| 14 | Total shots | 18 |
| 6 | Shots on target | 6 |
| 2 | Big chances | 4 |
| 639 | Total passes | 394 |
| 87% | Pass accuracy | 82% |
| 6 | Corners | 4 |
| 12 | Fouls | 7 |
| 0 | Offsides | 3 |
| 19 | Tackles | 23 |
| 3 | Saves | 4 |
| 2 | Yellow cards | 3 |
Team statistics from Sportmonks.
Player ratings and man of the match
Man of the match: Cole Palmer (Chelsea), rated 9.1 by Sportmonks, with 1 goal, 1 assist.
Fulham
- Gonzalo García 7.2 1 goal
- Josh King 7.1 1 goal
- Timothy Castagne 7.0 1 assist
- Alex Iwobi 6.8
- Jorge Cuenca 6.8
Chelsea
- Cole Palmer 9.1 1 goal, 1 assist
- Morgan Rogers 8.3 1 goal
- João Pedro 8.2 1 goal, 1 assist
- Maxence Lacroix 7.3 1 assist
- Pedro Neto 7.0
The lowest-rated starter was Levi Colwill at 6.3. Ratings run from 0 to 10; around 7.0 is a solid match.
What comes next
- Fulham: Ipswich Town vs Fulham Saturday 10 October 2026 · Premier League
- Chelsea: Chelsea vs AFC Bournemouth Saturday 10 October 2026 · Premier League
Each preview has Moneyball's estimate for the next match, published before kick-off and marked against the result afterwards, as this one is.
Questions about Fulham vs Chelsea
What was the score in Fulham vs Chelsea?
Fulham 2-3 Chelsea (half-time 1-2), Premier League, Monday 24 August 2026.
Who scored in Fulham vs Chelsea?
João Pedro 1', Josh King 23', Morgan Rogers 41', Cole Palmer 49', Gonzalo García 54'.
Did Moneyball predict Fulham vs Chelsea correctly?
Moneyball did not publish a pre-match estimate for this match, so there is nothing to mark it against.
Who was man of the match in Fulham vs Chelsea?
Cole Palmer, rated 9.1 by Sportmonks.
Who refereed Fulham vs Chelsea?
J. Brooks.
Every match, before and after
Moneyball Odds writes a preview with its estimate before every match of Europe's top five leagues and the European cups, then marks it against the result, hits and misses alike.
Moneyball Odds is a statistical analysis site, not a bookmaker. No model predicts football reliably. For readers aged 18 and over.