Robert Sánchez: An early shooting error gave Fulham a corner. He should have saved King’s equalizer at his near post, while his initial save for Fulham’s second was deflected into a dangerous area, allowing Garcia to score. 3Josh Acheampong: The 20-year-old produced an excellent double clearance and block in the 27th minute and looked solid throughout. 6Maxence Lacroix: Notably involved in Chelsea’s first two goals, with his headed clearance leading to the first goal and his run down the right and cutback setting up Rogers. 7Levi Colwill: An early mistake left him lucky to escape with only a yellow card after a foul on Bobb. He was also partly to blame for Fulham’s second goal after failing to clear a deep cross. 5Bad Taste: The full-back was a surprise selection amid Chelsea’s injury problems, but his passing lacked conviction at times. 5Romeo Lavia: Booked early on after a late challenge on Bassey. However, he grew into the game, approaching from a corner and moving the ball well through midfield. 5Reece James: Saw a failed attempt saved in the first half, but gradually grew into the game and helped Chelsea take control. 6Jorrel Hato: Operating in an unfamiliar full-back role, the defender made a promising early dribble and settled in well. 6Cole Palmer: Simply the best player on the field. Palmer was creative, physically impressive and performed several superb dribbles before scoring an excellent third goal. He looks refreshed after the summer vacation. 9Morgan Rogers: An outstanding debut. He pressed aggressively, had a shot blocked, played with Joao Pedro and then capped his performance by scoring Chelsea’s second with a shot at the far post. 8Joao Pedro: He opened the scoring at 31 seconds with a skillful shot over Leno. He also cleverly took advantage of Fulham’s high defensive line to set up Palmer’s goal. 8Subs:Enzo Fernández (65, Lavia): The Argentine was booed by the home fans every time he touched the ball and might not have appeared if Moisés Caicedo had been fit. Still, Fernández moved the ball up the field and fought for possession. 6Pep Chavarría (65, Hato): It was a back-to-the-wall job for the full-back, but he did little of note in his brief debut cameo. 5Pedro Neto (at 76, Gusto): 5Geovany Quenda (at 82, Rogers): 5Estevao (at 83, Palmer): 5Unused substitutes: Penders, Barco, Gittens, Welbeck.
