Morgan Rogers made an immediate impact for Chelsea by scoring on his competitive debut and helping the club begin the 2026-27 Premier League season with a 3-2 victory away to Fulham.
The England international, who joined Chelsea from Aston Villa during the current summer transfer window, produced a lively performance in the opening match of the campaign at Craven Cottage on Monday.
Rogers doubled Chelsea’s advantage in the 41st minute, registering his first official goal for the London club. Cole Palmer later added a third for Xabi Alonso’s side, who ultimately held on for an opening-day win despite Fulham scoring twice.
The result gave Alonso a successful start to his first Premier League campaign as Chelsea manager and ensured Rogers immediately became one of the central figures in the club’s new era.
According to Opta, Rogers created five chances during the match. That made him the first Chelsea player on record since the 2003-04 season to create five chances on his Premier League debut for the club.
Opta described the achievement in a social media post:
“5 – Morgan Rogers has now also become the first Chelsea player to create five chances on his Premier League debut for the club on record since 2003-04.Inventive.”
Rogers’ creative influence was not limited to a single statistical milestone. CBS Sports reported that he created more chances than any other player during the opening round of Premier League fixtures, underlining the scale of his contribution in his first appearance for Chelsea.
The broadcaster posted:
“Morgan Rogers created more chances than any other player in the opening Premier League weekend 🥶What a debut 👏”
Chelsea’s victory was their first of the new league season, while Fulham began their campaign with defeat in front of their home supporters. The two sides produced a five-goal contest, but Rogers’ goal and chance creation ensured the visitors took the points.
The 23-year-old’s arrival at Stamford Bridge has attracted significant attention because of the size of the transfer fee. Several English reports have put the cost of the move at €117m (€138m), making Rogers the second-most expensive signing in Premier League history according to those reports.
Only Alexander Isak has cost more, after the Sweden international joined Liverpool from Newcastle last summer for £125m.
Rogers now has an opportunity to build on his first Chelsea appearance as the club continue their Premier League campaign. His goal, along with the record five chances created, provided an emphatic introduction to the Chelsea support and gave Alonso an encouraging first league result in charge.
