You must agree with me, we were clearly the better team. But sometimes we must be honest, because if not for HIM, we would have finished them even before the half-time whistle. Fulham Coach Marco Silva, name ONE Chelsea player that really impressed him today, as he would love to have him in his squad.”
You must agree with me, we were clearly the better team. But sometimes we must be honest, because if not for HIM, we would have finished them even before the half-time whistle. Fulham Coach Marco Silva, name ONE Chelsea player that really impressed him today, as he would love to have him in his squad.”
Chelsea secured a controversial 2-0 victory over west London rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge, though they were far from their best. The team returned to action after an emphatic win against West Ham United, following a season-opening draw with Crystal Palace.
First Half: Controversies and Goals
The match began with Fulham applying early pressure, successfully limiting Chelsea’s chances. However, disaster struck for the visitors in the 21st minute when teenager Josh King thought he had scored. King coolly finished past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review. The video assistant referee ruled that Rodrigo Muniz had committed a foul on Trevoh Chalobah during the build-up. This sparked outrage on the Fulham bench, leaving manager Marco Silva understandably frustrated.
Despite being outplayed in the first half, Chelsea took an undeserved lead just before halftime. João Pedro headed in from Enzo Fernández’s corner, marking his fifth goal in five starts following his £55m transfer from Brighton.
Second Half: More VAR Drama
The second half continued with more VAR drama, as Chelsea was awarded a penalty for a handball by Ryan Sessegnon. Controversially, it appeared João Pedro had also handled the ball before the incident. Enzo Fernández converted the penalty to double Chelsea’s lead.
The delay following the second goal seemed to deflate Fulham’s hopes, allowing Chelsea to control the game more effectively. They threatened a third goal, with Estêvão forcing a save from Bernd Leno.
Fulham had a moment of hope late in the match when Pedro had to clear an effort off the line in stoppage time. Overall, the Blues managed to hold on to their lead and secured three important points.
Player Focus: João Pedro
João Pedro has quickly made an impact since joining Chelsea, with a noteworthy record of five goals and two assists in his first five starts. He is the first Chelsea player to score five goals or more in his initial five starts since Tammy Abraham in 2019.
Pedro attributes his rapid adaptation to manager Enzo Maresca’s playing style, which he finds reminiscent of his former Brighton coach, Roberto de Zerbi. His prior experience in the Premier League, having joined Watford in 2020, has also contributed to his successful start.
Injury Concerns
Despite the win, Chelsea faced challenges as striker Liam Delap suffered a hamstring injury, which is feared to sideline him for six to eight weeks. The team is already without star attacker Cole Palmer, and academy talent Tyrique George was utilized up front for much of the match. Additionally, Christopher Nkunku joined AC Milan before kickoff, and Nicolas Jackson is nearing a loan move to Bayern Munich.
While Chelsea celebrated the victory, the match highlighted several controversial refereeing decisions, particularly surrounding the VAR interventions that benefitted them. Fulham, however, will feel hard done by after a strong first-half performance.
