How every Chelsea manager fared in their Premier League debut ahead of Xabi Alonso vs Fulham

The Spaniard will be far closer to knowing his starting XI for the opening game of the season, where he will get his first taste of a West London derby at Craven Cottage.

Chelsea’s pre-season tour is over! What are your early thoughts on Xabi Alonso as manager? 💭

How every Chelsea manager fared in their Premier League debut

Of the 21 Chelsea managers and head coaches to come before him, only ten have been successful in their first Premier League outing.

This surprisingly included both Liam Rosenior and Graham Potter, whose time in charge wouldn’t even last a full season at Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho makes up another two of the victors from his time in charge, with Antonio Conte and Carlo Ancelotti winning their first games on the way to winning the Premier League.

The other victors were Maurizio Sarri, Roberto Di Matteo, Luiz Felipe Scolari and David Webb, all the way back in 1993.

There were six permanent managers who drew their opening game, with the first being Ian Porterfield when he took charge of Chelsea’s first Premier League game in 1992.

Ruud Gullit, Claudio Ranieri and Andre Villas-Boas also were held to draws in their first games, with a number of recent examples where they couldn’t get the victory over the line.

Thomas Tuchel’s very impressive time in charge started with a 0-0 draw against Wolves, while Mauricio Pochettino earned a solid point against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

Five Chelsea managers have lost their first game in charge, with both Frank Lampard and Enzo Maresca falling to comprehensive defeats to Manchester United and Manchester City respectively.

Avram Grant also lost his opening game to United, while Gianluca Vialli and Glenn Hoddle’s entertaining spells in charge got off on the wrong foot too.

What system will Xabi Alonso use the most? Where will the likes of Marco Palestra, Reece James, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers all fit?

Alonso is the first manager to take on West London rivals Fulham on the opening day, with the Blues needing to put in a far better display than they did at Craven Cottage last season.

Chelsea lost 2-1 following Marc Cucurella’s red card back in January, in a game that was notable for including Liam Delap’s only Premier League goal for the club.

With a clash against defending champions Arsenal just three games in, the Blues need points on the board early on, putting extra pressure on their opening game against Fulham.