By KIERAN GILL, MAIL SPORT REPORTER
Published: 16:59 EST, 7 January 2026 | Updated: 16:59 EST, 7 January 2026
Welcome to Chelsea, Liam Rosenior, and here, just for your viewing pleasure, the players have kindly arranged a special preview featuring a major item from your in-tray.
It was in the 22nd minute when Rosenior, watching from Craven Cottage’s swish seats next to co-owner Behdad Eghbali, witnessed Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno launch the ball long, Harry Wilson sprint on to it, and, clear as day, Marc Cucurella drag him down as Chelsea’s last man.
Cucurella represented their seventh red card of the season in all competitions – eight if we include the one shown to their former head coach, Enzo Maresca.
The next nearest Premier League team to Chelsea is Tottenham Hotspur with three.
Now, that can happen. Cucurella was daft, but this is football, defenders make rash decisions out of desperation. What came next should concern Rosenior even more.
Three Chelsea players – yes, three – were booked for complaining.
New Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior watched his side fall to defeat against Fulham
Marc Cucurella was sent off for the visitors after bringing down Harry Wilson
The bratty behaviour of other players after the red card led to more cautions from the referee
Enzo Fernandez was the first one to indulge in bratty behaviour. He was wearing the captain’s armband but our referee, Peter Bankes, clearly believed he took his bleating too far. Then followed Tosin Adarabioyo, and finally Cole Palmer.
What made those cautions stranger was that Chelsea’s complaints carried no merit. Cucurella denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
A few fans on social media insisted Wilson was in an offside position. That didn’t matter. Leno’s pass was played from a goal-kick.
Cucurella had to go, and he did, but his Chelsea team-mates did not need to join him in Bankes’ book.
Maresca used to get sick of us quizzing him on his side’s dire disciplinary record. He would act as if we were making up an issue in our minds.
Somewhere, sat at home, Maresca may have been grateful that he was not here to be forced to answer yet more of our questions afterwards.
Cucurella’s dismissal was annoying for Chelsea because, up until then, they had been the better team. It is said that Rosenior did not have any say on tactical matters here. He left this trip to Calum McFarlane, their Under-21 head coach who was filling in as caretaker one last time.
In stark contract to life under Maresca, neither Chelsea full-back was inverting into midfield.
Malo Gusto and Cucurella were playing much more traditionally. Gusto in particular was flying down his flank to overlap Cole Palmer, who was being used on the right wing here.
Wilson scored the winner 10 minutes from time to secure victory in the west London derby
MATCH FACTS:
Fulham (3-4-2-1): Leno 6.5; Diop 6, Andersen 6, Cuenca 6 (Kevin 45, 6); Castagne 6, Berge 6.5, Cairney 6.5 (Sessegnon 73, 6), Robinson 7 (Lukic 73, 6); Wilson 8 (Traore 90), Smith Rowe 6.5 (Reed 83); Jimenez 7.5
Subs (not used): Kusi-Asare, Lecomte, Amissah, Ridgeon
Scorers: Jimenez (55), Wilson (81)
Booked: Cuenca, Castagne, Jimenez
Manager: Marco Silva 7
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez 6; Gusto 6 (Acheampong 76), Adarabioyo 5, Chalobah 5, Cucurella 2; Santos 6 (Hato 28, 6), Caicedo 5.5; Palmer 5 (Joao Pedro 75, 5.5), Fernandez 5 (James 65, 6), Neto 5.5; Delap 6
Subs (not used): Gittens, Jorgensen, Fofana, Estevao, Garnacho
Scorers: Delap (72)
Booked: Fernandez, Adarabioyo, Palmer
Sent off: Cucurella (22)
Manager: Calum McFarlane (interim) 5.5
Referee: Peter Bankes 6
Attendance: 26,990
But once they had gone down to 10 men, Fulham seized the initiative. Marco Silva’s side thought they had scored in first-half stoppage time through Wilson. However, Raul Jimenez’s ankle was found to be offside in the build-up.
It was in the 55th minute when Fulham took their legitimate lead. Trevoh Chalobah was supposed to be marking Jimenez but lost him as he headed home for 1-0.
Rosenior will have been buoyed by the response, at least. They may have been a man shy, and the away end was singing a new song aimed at their ownership on repeat which went: ‘We don’t care about Clearlake, they don’t care us, all we care about is Chelsea FC.’
But they did not stop. In the 72nd minute, Pedro Neto took a corner, Fulham’s Antonee Robinson flicked it on himself, the ball struck the woodwork, and Liam Delap tapped in the rebound.
They were level for less than 10 minutes. Fulham retook the lead through Wilson. Since the start of November, only Erling Haaland has more Premier League goal involvements than him. A fine finish this was, too, into the corner and beyond the reach of Robert Sanchez.
Whoever they are owned by, there are no guarantees for head coaches at Chelsea. Maresca departed after winning two trophies in his previous season, and he is in good company in that regard.
Jose Mourinho was sacked – twice – after picking up two pieces of silverware the campaign before. As was Carlo Ancelotti, and Roberto Di Matteo. No pressure, then, Rosenior.
If the 41-year-old Englishman is to take Chelsea to the next level, then he could do with his players limiting their pitiful foolishness on the pitch. Not for the first time, it cost them here.