Premier League
Fulham 2-3 Chelsea: the last box on matchday 1 is filled
Every pool sheet for the new Premier League season had exactly one box still open, and Monday night closed it. Nine of the ten matchday 1 fixtures had already been played. The tenth, at Craven Cottage, turned out to be the loudest of the round: Fulham 2-3 Chelsea.
How Fulham vs Chelsea finished
Chelsea led inside sixty seconds, were pegged back twice, and still took all three points.
| Min | Goal |
|---|---|
| 1’ | João Pedro (Chelsea) |
| 23’ | Josh King (Fulham) |
| 41’ | Morgan Rogers (Chelsea) |
| 49’ | Cole Palmer (Chelsea) |
| 54’ | García (Fulham) |
Sources: Sky Sports · NBC Sports.
Three of the five goals came in a thirteen-minute window between the 41st and the 54th. Fulham were never more than a goal behind after the opener, and were a goal behind again with 36 minutes still to play — which is why this one was worth more to the pools that score anything beyond the result.
Premier League matchday 1: the complete round
Ten games, and the seeding lost more often than it won:
| Day | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 21 | Arsenal – Coventry City | 3-0 |
| Sat 22 | Hull City – Manchester United | 2-0 |
| Sat 22 | Everton – Crystal Palace | 2-0 |
| Sat 22 | Ipswich Town – Sunderland | 2-1 |
| Sat 22 | Nottingham Forest – Leeds United | 0-1 |
| Sat 22 | Brentford – Tottenham | 3-0 |
| Sun 23 | Brighton – Aston Villa | 4-0 |
| Sun 23 | Manchester City – Bournemouth | 2-1 |
| Sun 23 | Newcastle – Liverpool | 2-2 |
| Mon 24 | Fulham – Chelsea | 2-3 |
Sources: Sky Sports results · ESPN.
Three of those deserve a second look now the round is closed. Hull City beat Manchester United 2-0 on their return to the top flight after nine years — the full Saturday, across five leagues, is in Seven Upsets in One Saturday. Sunday was decided almost entirely after the 84th minute: Liverpool equalised at Newcastle from a penalty in the 90+9th, and Manchester City scored twice late to turn a deficit into a win. That day is broken down in Sunday’s pool wreckers. And only one of the ten games was drawn — the 2-2 at St James’ Park.
What the closing fixture did to pools
A closing fixture behaves differently from the rest of the round, for a reason that has nothing to do with the two teams.
By Monday night, everyone could see the table. Nine results were already in, and the standings on your group’s sheet were visible to anybody who bothered to look. That does not change what happens on the pitch, but it changes how the last box gets filled: people who are behind take the result that separates them, people who are ahead take the safe one. The last game of a round is where the gaps in a pool open up, not where its winner is decided.
Both sides started from zero. Neither Fulham nor Chelsea had played a league game this season, so there was no form line to lean on — only last season and preseason, which August had already shown to be unreliable. Brighton put four past Aston Villa inside 31 minutes on Sunday. City needed stoppage time to beat Bournemouth in Enzo Maresca’s first league game in charge. Monday added its own version: the away side scored after 51 seconds and still had to hold on.
The draw stayed the cheapest box in the round — and it barely paid. One of the ten games ended level. In a survivor format that matters more than it looks, because a draw keeps you alive: you only lose a life on a loss.
FAQ
What was the score in Fulham vs Chelsea?
Chelsea won 3-2 at Craven Cottage on Monday 24 August. João Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer scored for Chelsea; Josh King and García scored for Fulham.
Was this the last game of Premier League matchday 1?
Yes. Nine of the ten opening fixtures were played between Friday 21 and Sunday 23 August. Fulham vs Chelsea closed the round on Monday 24.
What were the biggest matchday 1 results?
Hull City 2-0 Manchester United on their return to the top flight, Brentford 3-0 Tottenham, Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa, and a 2-2 at Newcastle where Liverpool equalised from a penalty in the 90+9th minute.
How many matchday 1 games were drawn?
One — Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool. The other nine produced a winner.
How does a pool handle a fixture played a day after the rest of the round?
However your group set it up — the point is that scoring should not wait on anyone. Quini closes each row with its own match and updates the table from the official live data as games finish, so a Monday night fixture does not freeze the whole round.
Starting a pool for the new season? Quini scores it from the official live data — the Premier League and every other league on this page, in one place, with the table moving while the match is still going. Set your own rules, invite your group, drop the spreadsheet. See how it works, or check the 2026-27 kickoff calendar if you are still deciding which competitions to include. Download at playquini.com.