Chelsea vs Fulham Review
In a thrilling match at Stamford Bridge, Fulham secured a stoppage-time goal to come from behind and defeat Chelsea 2-1 in the Premier League, putting an end to Chelsea’s 12-match unbeaten streak across all competitions. Last weekend, Chelsea missed a chance to apply pressure on Liverpool at the top of the table, settling for a 0-0 draw against Everton, which halted their eight-game winning streak. Despite this, Chelsea remained in second place and had the opportunity to narrow the gap to just one point. Meanwhile, Fulham is having a remarkable season, achieving a club-record 25 points after 17 Premier League matches.
Fulham registered the first shot on target with Raúl Jiménez’s long-range effort, which was comfortably saved by Robert Sánchez. However, Cole Palmer’s moment of brilliance opened the scoring around the 15-minute mark. He picked up the ball 40 yards from goal, maneuvered past two defenders, and calmly placed it into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. This marked his 12th league goal of the season and his 26th in 2024. Despite falling behind, Fulham responded well, with Calvin Bassey testing Sánchez with a low shot, but only a quick save from Bernd Leno prevented Marc Cucurella from extending Chelsea’s lead before halftime.
The home team started the second half strong, with Leno making a fingertip save to deny Enzo Fernández, and Chelsea had a goal from Levi Colwill disallowed for offside. Fulham continued to push back, with Alex Iwobi narrowly missing the target and Antonee Robinson forcing Sánchez into a close-range save. Fulham’s determination paid off as they earned an equalizer near the end of the match. A cross from Robinson was headed towards goal by Rodrigo Muniz, allowing substitute Harry Wilson to nod it over the line.
Just when it appeared that the points would be evenly divided, the Cottagers delivered a decisive blow at the last moment as Muniz completed a rapid counter-attack, earning the visitors their first victory at this venue since 1979. This result is a significant setback for Chelsea’s title hopes, reinforcing Maresca’s assertion that his team is not prepared for a top-tier challenge. On the other hand, Fulham fully deserved the win and have now lost only one of their last ten league games.
