Chelsea Survive Craven Cottage Scare to Edge Fulham in London Derby

Chelsea kicked off their Premier League season in the most dramatic fashion possible on Monday, coming away from Craven Cottage in London with a 3-2 victory over a Fulham side that refused to make it easy. It was the kind of breathless west London derby that reminded everyone why this fixture never disappoints.

Fulham gave Chelsea everything they could handle, fighting back to keep themselves in the contest and ensuring the visitors were never allowed to settle. The two-goal winning margin in no way tells the full story of a match that swung back and forth and had the home crowd believing until the very end.

For Chelsea, three points from a derby on the road is exactly the sort of confidence-building result a squad needs in the opening weeks of the campaign. There is an expectation at Stamford Bridge that this is a side capable of mounting a serious title challenge, and winning ugly away from home is a trait that separates contenders from pretenders.

Fulham, meanwhile, will feel the sting of a home defeat but can take genuine heart from the fight they showed. Marco Silva's side demonstrated they have the quality to trouble top-half opposition, and a performance of this character suggests they will be no pushover for anyone visiting the Cottage this season.

It is just one match, but early Premier League days have a habit of setting narratives that linger. Chelsea will head into the next round of fixtures with momentum; Fulham will be hungry to respond. The soap opera of the new season is already well underway.