Chelsea began the Xabi Alonso era with three points after a 3-2 win at Fulham on Monday night.
The Spaniard started his reign with a win in the West London derby, as a new-look frontline of Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and Cole Palmer all found the target.
That trio have dominated the headlines in the aftermath of Alonso’s first game, but one statistic bodes well for an improved campaign from the Blues.
Chelsea covered more distance [123.3km] than any other club in the Premier League across the opening weekend.
It’s a stark contrast to last season’s struggles, when Chelsea finished bottom of the Premier League for combined distance covered. Their running stats were so low that the West Londoners outrun an opponent once during the entire 2025-26 campaign.
New manager, new energy.
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