João Pedro, Chelsea’s Brazilian forward, scored the fastest-ever Matchweek 1 goal in Premier League history, finding the net just 31 seconds into their match against Fulham on August 24, 2026 at Craven Cottage. The strike proved to be the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory that gave new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso a perfect start to his Premier League managerial career. This record is specific to the season-opening matchweek and does not surpass the all-time fastest goal in Premier League history, which remains Shane Long’s 7.69 seconds for Southampton in April 2019. João Pedro, who joined Chelsea from Brighton in summer 2025, scored 20 goals across all competitions in the 2025/26 season, including 15 in the Premier League.
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