Chelsea extended their unbeaten start to the Premier League season with a 2-0 win over Fulham at Stamford Bridge, meaning they’ve now only lost one of their last 12 league games.
It’s been a busy week for Chelsea in the transfer market, with Christopher Nkunku joining AC Milan and Nicolas Jackson nearing a loan move to Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho, a new signing, was in the stands to watch Chelsea face a disciplined Fulham side during the first half. There were some early chances for Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, but Delap’s hamstring injury around the 15-minute mark unsettled the hosts, giving Fulham the chance to cause problems.
Fulham thought they had scored midway through the half when 18-year-old Josh King netted during a counter-attack, which would’ve been his first Premier League goal. However, much to the frustration of Fulham’s manager Marco Silva, the goal was disallowed as it was deemed that Rodrigo Muniz had fouled Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up.
As the first half went on, Chelsea looked slightly better, and only a quick save from Bernd Leno stopped Tyrique George from scoring. However, from the resulting corner, Pedro headed in Enzo Fernández’s cross to give Chelsea a perhaps undeserved lead at half-time.
After the break, VAR once again played a key role, and Silva’s frustrations grew when Chelsea doubled their lead. Chalobah’s cross struck Ryan Sessegnon’s raised arm, and after a review, the referee awarded a penalty. Fernández stepped up to score from the spot and give Chelsea a 2-0 lead.
The second goal took the wind out of Fulham’s sails, and although Pedro missed a clear chance when through on goal, Chelsea secured the win.
The victory temporarily lifts Chelsea to the top of the table. For Fulham and particularly Silva, it’s a tough defeat, and they remain without a win this season, although this is their first loss across all competitions.
