Derby day at the Bridge : Picture by @YTJourno
**Chelsea (1) 2** Joao Pedro 45+9, Fernandez pen 56
VAR comes to the rescue of a big club again - shock.
Just as it was on the opening weekend against Palace, the Blues got lucky with the flimsiest of excuses to chalk off a spectacular goal against them.
Fulham's Josh King scored a brilliant opening goal that will never appear in the history books after the off-field official intervened - the first of two occasions when the ref who saw nothing illegal was persuaded that he had got it all wrong.
Whistler Rob Jones felt duty bound to rubber-stamp the video bunker call from on-duty nerd Michael Salisbury.
King raced upfield and checked back inside ex-Whites defender Tosin before drilling low past Robert Sanchez but it was decided that Rodrigo Muniz won the ball in midfield unfairly by treading on Trevoh Chalobah after controlling the ball.
Then, to compound the agony for Fulham, they conceded in the ninth minute of injury time from a set piece - completely against the run of play.
It was always going to be that kind of day for the Whites. No sooner had the second half got under way than VAR intervened yet again in Chelsea's favour when a Chalobah cross was blocked by Ryan Sessegnon's raised elbow. Jones was once again all-too happy to concur with his distant helper.
As the song goes: "You might as well go home"
Fulham had been excellent in the first half, from the moment Sander Berge blocked a Liam Delap effort from close range. They were full of sharp tackles and quick transitions while effectively closing down the angles of approach for Enzo Maresca's men.
Joachim Andersen combined well with Timothy Castagne before curling a left footer wide and it needed a last-ditch sliding tackle from Moises Caicedo to deny Castagne as the defender again got forward in support of an attack.
But moments after Tyrique George - on for a hamstrung Delap - had seen his effort blocked at the near post, Joao Pedro climbed highest to head home the subsequent Enzo Fernandez corner in the ninth minute of injury time.
It was always going to be that kind of day for the Whites. No sooner had the second half got under way than VAR intervened yet again in Chelsea's favour when a Chalobah cross was blocked by Ryan Sessegnon's raised elbow. Jones was once again all-too happy to concur with his distant helper.
So no repeat of the dramatic win last season for Fulham at Bridge. This time, they only had a raging sense of injustice to take away from their short trip up the road.
This was a fine day for Chelsea, though, who proved they may not have to be so great to win most games in their bid to mount a title challenge.
The Blues - so starved on new big signings of late - had another face in the crowd waiting to become the latest trophy accessory too. The bleached-blond Alejandro Garnacho was in the stands watching the players who will soon become his rivals for a coveted blue shirt.
They need all the help they can get right now.
**Blues:** (4-2-3-1) Sanchez - Gusto, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella - Caicedo, Fernandez - Estevao (Gittens 68), Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto (James 81) - Delap (George 15) (Santos 81)
**Whites:** (4-2-3-1) Leno - Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon (Robinson 67) - Lukic, Berge - Castagne (Wilson 60), King (Smith Rowe 67), Iwobi (Traore 83) - Rodrigo Muniz (Jimenez 60)