Three reasons Chelsea could challenge for title - and one they may not

Xabi Alonso opened his tenure as Chelsea head coach with a 3‑2 Premier League victory over west London rivals Fulham on Monday, a result driven by an electrifying front three. Morgan Rogers, making his debut after a £117m summer move from Aston Villa, linked up with Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro to produce a devastating attacking display. All three found the net, with Palmer in particular appearing to return to his best form after a season hampered by injuries that saw him omitted from England’s World Cup squad. Defensively, goalkeeper Robert Sanchez contributed to Fulham’s goals through two errors – one that allowed Josh King to equalise and another that set up Gonzalo Garcia’s winner. After the match Alonso stressed that his front three must “lead the rest” so that the “other ones will follow”. When questioned about