Morgan Rogers highlighted Jordan Henderson's instant impact after Chelsea's record-breaking start powered a 5-1 Premier League victory over Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge. The win moves Chelsea up to sixth place with 10 points from their opening six matches, just outside the top four on goal difference.

Henderson, making his first home appearance since his summer arrival, opened the scoring after just 66 seconds. Rogers then added a second goal a minute later, completing the fastest two-goal lead in the club's Premier League history. The 36-year-old midfielder later capped the performance with a stunning 25-yard free-kick, having also provided the assist for Rogers' strike.

Rogers' high praise

Speaking to the club's media, Rogers was effusive in his praise for the veteran's influence. "People said he was too old and you see what he does," Rogers said. "Everyone in the dressing room knows that he's probably still the fittest player at the club, to be honest. He's a machine." Rogers noted Henderson's decorated career and insisted his quality would be evident all season. The £117 million summer signing also credited manager Xabi Alonso for the team's aggressive mentality from the first whistle. "I put it down to the manager’s team talks," Rogers explained. "He gets us firing, gets us going. We always want to start off on the front foot."

A pattern of fast starts

Saturday's explosive opening continued a clear trend for Alonso's side. Chelsea have now scored inside the first seven minutes in five of their six league games this season. They led after 38 seconds against Fulham, after 77 seconds against Arsenal, and after three minutes and 39 seconds against Brighton. The sole exception was the 3-0 defeat at Brentford before the international break, a match Rogers referenced when discussing the team's renewed focus. He pointed to "massive improvement already from the international break" as players used the time off to work on their game. Rogers himself has been central to the early surges, contributing to three of the six goals Chelsea have scored inside the opening seven minutes this campaign. You can review the team's upcoming schedule, including a key trip to Everton, on our fixtures page.

Set-piece shift

A lighter moment emerged from Rogers' revelation about a change in free-kick duties. The team's set-piece work, overseen by coach Austin MacPhee, remains a point of emphasis as they seek every marginal gain.

With 15 goals scored but 13 conceded, defensive solidity will be a focus alongside their attacking verve. The victory provides momentum ahead of a challenging visit to Goodison Park to face fifth-placed Everton on 17 October. Chelsea's current standings position shows they are within touching distance of the Champions League places, and maintaining this early-game intensity could be key to closing the eight-point gap to leaders Manchester City. Rogers echoed the manager's mantra of focusing on self-improvement game by game, quoting Alonso's message that "We can finish bottom or we can finish first." For now, the immediate task is extending their improved form on Merseyside next weekend.

This story first appeared at chelseafc.com