25 August 2026
Chelsea opened the Xabi Alonso era with all three points after a 3-2 victory away to Fulham on Monday night.
The Spaniard got his spell in charge off to a winning start in the West London derby, with Chelsea’s revamped front three of Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer all getting on the scoresheet.
That attacking trio have taken most of the attention after Alonso’s first match, but one statistic points towards a potentially stronger season for the Blues.
Chelsea covered more ground [123.3km] than any other side in the Premier League over the opening weekend.
It marks a huge change from last season, when Chelsea ended up bottom of the Premier League for total distance covered. Their running figures were so poor that the West London club managed to outrun an opponent only once during the whole 2025-26 campaign.
New manager, new energy.
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