Chelsea on Saturday afternoon secured a controversial 2-0 win over West London rivals Fulham, a result that left Marco Silva’s side furious with officiating decisions and Enzo Maresca relieved to escape with three points.
Goals from Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez sealed the victory, but the scoreline did little to reflect the balance of play, with Fulham arguably the better side for large spells.
The visitors thought they had taken the lead in the first half when 18-year-old Callum King finished confidently past Robert Sánchez, only for VAR to intervene and rule out the strike for a foul by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up.
The decision proved pivotal, swinging momentum towards Chelsea, who struck on the stroke of half-time and then doubled their lead after the break.
Here is the full match report:
First Half Match Report
Joao Pedro, right on the stroke of half-time, secured an important lead for Chelsea with a well-placed header, capping off what had been an underwhelming performance from the Blues up to that point.
The half began brightly enough for Chelsea, with Pedro himself forcing an early save from Leno after testing the goalkeeper with a low drive.
However, that proved to be an isolated effort, as the visitors quickly settled into rhythm. Fulham’s front line, spearheaded by Muniz and supported by the lively King and Iwobi, pressed Chelsea’s backline aggressively and repeatedly found space on the break.
An early blow for the hosts came just after the 10-minute mark, when Liam Delap pulled up clutching his hamstring while chasing a ball in behind.
The young forward immediately signaled to the bench and, after limping off, was replaced by George. It was a setback that disrupted Chelsea’s attacking structure and left Maresca scrambling to readjust his frontline.
Fulham thought they had struck first midway through the half when King showed remarkable composure to finish neatly past Sánchez after a sweeping counterattack.
The 18-year-old’s cool strike seemed to hand Fulham a deserved lead, only for VAR to intervene. After a lengthy review, referee Rob Jones ruled that Muniz had committed a foul on Chalobah in the build-up, a decision that left Marco Silva fuming on the touchline and the away fans incensed.
The disallowed goal sparked further controversy, with pundits and ex-referees alike questioning the call.
Mike Dean, on commentary duty, branded it harsh and suggested that Muniz’s contact was accidental rather than deliberate.
For Chelsea, it was a lucky escape, but they failed to build on it, looking disjointed in midfield and repeatedly exposed in defensive transitions.
Fulham, by contrast, grew in confidence, with Castagne and Lukic combining to test Chelsea’s defensive organisation.
Robert Sánchez was called upon more than once to keep the scores level, producing a sharp stop from King and later standing tall to deny Muniz from close range.
Chelsea, meanwhile, struggled to fashion clear chances of their own, with Estevão often isolated on the wing and George still settling after coming on for Delap.
The frustration was evident among the home supporters, who grew restless as Fulham’s control increased.
As the half ticked into stoppage time, Fulham continued to carve out openings.
Castagne saw an effort blocked brilliantly by Tosin, while another half-chance fell to King, who was just crowded out before he could pull the trigger.
Chelsea were hanging on, relying on last-ditch defending to keep Fulham at bay, and boos seemed a real possibility had the whistle gone with the game still goalless.
But in the ninth minute of added time, Chelsea struck. Enzo whipped in a teasing corner and Joao Pedro timed his leap to perfection, planting a header into the net to give the Blues an unlikely lead.
Second Half Report
Chelsea seemed to have been buoyed by their goal in the first half and came out after the restart with renewed energy, determined to kill the game off.
Within minutes, they were on the front foot again, with Estevão cutting inside and testing Leno, though the Fulham goalkeeper was equal to the strike.
That early warning sign set the tone for what was to follow as the hosts pressed for a decisive second.
The turning point came in the 49th minute, when VAR once more took center stage. A Chalobah effort was blocked by Sessegnon, with the ball clearly striking the defender’s arm.
Referee Rob Jones was called to the monitor after a lengthy review, checking not only the handball but also a potential foul in the buildup.
The decision eventually went Chelsea’s way, with a penalty awarded to the frustration of the Fulham players and fans alike.
From the spot, Enzo Fernández showed composure and class. Stepping up in the 56th minute, he sent Leno the wrong way with a calm finish straight down the middle, doubling Chelsea’s advantage and sparking wild celebrations inside Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea nearly made it three not long after when João Pedro broke clear and tried to round Leno, only for the Fulham keeper to stick out a strong leg and smother the danger.
Neto also came close with a teasing cross that Pedro narrowly missed at full stretch. The Blues were very much in control, with the crowd roaring their approval, particularly when Estevão was substituted to a standing ovation.
Fulham, however, did not go down quietly. Marco Silva’s men began to push forward in the final 20 minutes, with Jiménez heading over from close range after a fine cross from substitute Adama Traoré.
Another moment of panic came when Andersen’s late header from a corner had to be cleared off the line by João Pedro, ensuring Chelsea preserved their clean sheet.
The game grew increasingly scrappy in stoppage time, with tempers flaring and cards shown to Iwobi, Santos, and Lukic.
James went close with a fierce drive from the edge of the area that Leno grabbed, while Fulham’s best late chance saw Jiménez lash a free-kick high into the stands. Despite their late efforts, the visitors lacked the quality to truly trouble Robert Sánchez in the Chelsea goal.
