Chelsea rode their luck – and had a helping hand from their officials – as they beat Fulham 2-0 in the SW6 derby at Stamford Bridge this afternoon. Joao Pedro’s header and a penalty from Enzo Fernandez gave Enzo Maresco’s side the three points to head into the international break in fine fettle, but it could – and perhaps – should have been so different.
The home side were ponderous and nervy in a first half that their near neighbours dominated. Marco Silva set Fulham up with three centre halves to nullify Chelsea’s attacking arsenal and, as it did last weekend against Manchester United, it largely worked. Rodrigo Muniz led the line in place of Raul Jimenez and delivered the game’s telling moment, turning terrifically away from Trevoh Chalobah short of the centre circle, to allow Sander Berge to put Josh King in between the home defence. The teenager accelerated into the penalty area and had the presence of mind to shift the ball onto his right foot before shooting through the legs of Tosin Adarabioyo and inside the near post. It was a fine first goal for Fulham for the attacking midfielder who has been in the club’s academy since the age of eight, or so we thought.
Chalobah had stayed on the floor having been turned inside out by Muniz. The video assistant referee Michael Salisbury instructed Jones to head to the monitor and the goal was eventually disallowed for ‘a careless challenge,’ according to Jones. Muniz’s offence whilst shielding the ball with his back to goal and flicking it towards a team-mate? A stray foot landed briefly on Chalobah’s toe. It wasn’t enough for the defender to stay on the floor and, certainly can’t be considered a clear and obvious error, as even slowed down it didn’t look like a foul.
King’s magical moment, his first goal for his boyhood club, was taken away from him. Silva fumed on the sidelines. His side had been disciplined and had the better of the contest in a first half where the Whites created the clearest chances on the counter attack. The talented teenager had another shot saved by Robert Sanchez, Joachim Andersen and Alex Iwobi also went close and Timothy Castagne, excellent again at right wing-back, saw a goal-bound shot brilliantly blocked by Moises Caicedo.
By contrast, the Blues were listless. It didn’t help that they lost the focal point of their attack in the fourteenth minute when Liam Delap injured a hamstring whilst trying to beat Joachim Andersen to a through ball, but the hosts had great difficulty in penetrating a resolute Fulham rearguard. The fourth official’s board indicated eight added minutes and, right at the end of added time, Bernd Leno blocked well from Joao Pedro at the far post.
Jones allowed another corner to be taken – and a minute beyond that added time – Fernandez’s flag-kick was glanced into the net by Pedro, who had sneaked between Calvin Bassey and Andersen. Silva seethed on the touchline when Jones did bring the first half to close, walking away from the official when instructed and probably saving himself another ban. The home side had to be better in the second half and they were, with Pedro Neto and Pedro, becoming more influential.
There was more controversy nine minutes after the break when, after initially waving play on, Jones went to the pitchside monitor and awarded a penalty against Ryan Sessegnon for handball. The Fulham wing-back had turned his back on a cross from Chalobah and lifted his elbow as he jumped. You’ve certainly seen them given, but the VAR curiously ignored Caicedo stamping on Iwobi before the ball went into the box and – even more egregiously – a push on Andersen by Pedro, who then handled Kenny Tete’s clearance with his head. Bernd Leno got a foot to Fernandez’s fiercely struck spot-kick, but couldn’t keep it out.
From there, it was always going to be difficult for Fulham to mount a comeback. They looked more threatening once Silva had sent on a succession of substitutes – with Andersen seeing a stoppage-time header scrambled off the line by Pedro. Chelsea, watched from the stands by their new signing Alejandro Garnacho, will play a lot better than this and lose. The Fulham fans, furious at the sense of injustice that had titled the derby away from them, finished the afternoon with a hearty chorus of ‘2-0 to the referee’. It was hard to disagree.
**CHELSEA (4-2-3-1):** Sanchez; Gusto, Cucurella, Adarabioyo, Chalobah; Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao (Gittens 68), Neto (James 81), Joao Pedro; Delap (George 14, Santos 81). **Subs (not used):** Jorgensen, Acheampong, Fofana, Hato, Essugo.
**BOOKED:** Caicedo, Santos.
**GOAL:** Joao Pedro (45+9), Fernandez (pen 56).
**FULHAM (3-4-2-1):** Leno; Tete, Bassey, Andersen; Castagne (Wilson 59), R. Sessegnon (A. Robinson 67), Lukic, Berge; Iwobi (Traore 84), King (Smith Rowe 67); Muniz (Jimenez 59). **Subs (not used):** Lecomte, Cuenca, Reed, Cairney.
**BOOKED:** Iwobi, Lukic.
**REFEREE:** Robert Jones (Merseyside).