**Chelsea**came through a scrappy showing at Stamford Bridge to earn their first home win of the Premier League campaign with a header from **Joao Pedro**and a penalty from Enzo Fernandez.
The Blues dropped two points on the opening matchday in front of their fans against a solid mid-table outfit from across the capital city. That could have been the case again after the final whistle.
However, they made their moments count and continue to look up the table with a tally of seven points from their first three fixtures as they head into the international break and a time of rest.
For Fulham, it is more frustration. Like the Eagles, they will wonder why VAR conspired against them, and the search goes on for a first **Premier League**triumph after a summer with few signings.
The Cottagers came away with a historic 2-1 win on Boxing Day on their last visit to Chelsea. To have had a strong shout at repeating this feat is a reflection of the spirit that they should try to uphold.
Story of the Match
**Chelsea**were unchanged from the lineup that Enzo Maresca had sent out against West Ham.
Cole Palmer picked up a niggle in the warm-up at the London Stadium, so he dropped out of the starting eleven. In his absence, **Estevao**has earned his second straight start in the Premier League, while **Joao Pedro**played in the hole as a second striker behind fellow summer signing Liam Delap.
Marco Silva similarly selected the same eleven players from a 1-1 draw at **Man United**last week.
Trust is building in teenage academy graduate Joshua King, so latest super sub Emile Smith Rowe remained on the bench. **Timothy Castagne**had been a doubt after a knock in the midweek 2-0 victory against Bristol City in the second round of the Carabao Cup, but he was fit enough to feature again.
As ever, **Joao Pedro**popped up with some strong ball handling in central areas to ride through the challenges of white shirts with his back to the goal. Some Samba flair from **Estevao**got the **Stamford Bridge**faithful off their seats, and Malo Gusto did some good work to support between both boxes.
But whatever momentum was moving in their favour stalled after the first ten minutes. Delap charged down the left channel and pulled up with sharp discomfort in the back of his leg. He limped off the pitch, and Tyrique George got his chance as a central forward with Pedro playing off him.
King clipped the ball around the outstepping Moises Caicedo, and **Rodrigo Muniz**trod on Trevoh Chalobah as he pirouetted to protect the ball. Sander Berge broke the defence with a pass to release King, and **Fulham**flew away on the transition to break the deadlock through the teenager.
King coolly chopped away from Tosin and slotted a strike into the net to score his first **Premier League**goal. But the contact on Chalobah caused the officials to rule out the strike with VAR.
The teenager impressed with his intelligence and turn of pace. His confidence grew by the minute.
Meanwhile, not unlike the visit of Crystal Palace, there were clear holes in terms of technical quality for the hosts. Enzo was woefully off the mark in transition, the absence of **Levi Colwill**was felt with errant passing from Tosin, and **Pedro Neto**lacked the finesse to make time in the final third count.
As half time neared, the Blues got their best chance of the game. **Enzo Fernandez**fired a corner kick to the near post, where the ball bounced off the back of Joachim Andersen and hit the head of Tosin.
A goal would have felt unfair for Maresca's men, but they took the advantage into the break. Another corner kick cross from Enzo met the head of Joao Pedro, and he put the ball into the back of the net.
Chalobah clipped a crisis from the edge of the penalty area that caught the flailing arm of Ryan Sessegnon. The referee did not judge the left back to have committed an infringement, but VAR intervened and awarded a penalty. Enzo benefitted, slotting the ball in the net from twelve yards.
The injustice left Silva steaming, but he had to react. Harry Wilson would replace Castagne, while Raul Jimenez and Smith Rowe also came on, concluding a productive performance from King.
Albeit an hour too late, the Blues began to take control. **Joao Pedro**plucked a long ball brilliantly out of the air, but he could not square it for George nor slalom around Bernd Leno. Moments later, he was inches away from a Neto delivery as **Chelsea**continued to go for the third goal and the kill.
The final half hour was far from smooth sailing. Maresca made a couple of substitutions to secure the two goal lead, pushing on Gusto as a right winger, and dropping Reece James as a right back.
He would watch nervily as Adama Traore entered the action as the final roll of the dice. The right winger would force an own goal in midweek with a back post delivery to Jimenez, and he nearly assisted the striker in this fixture as the Mexican steered his headed effort over the crossbar.
**Joao Pedro**pushed the ball away from his goal line at an injury time corner, and with that, the three points were in the bag. **Chelsea**had not convinced, but they had a second victory of the campaign.
Player of the Match: Joshua King
Enzo grabbed a goal and an assist in a sloppy showing, while **Joao Pedro**made the difference in both boxes. But it may have counted for nothing if a talented teenager got what he deserved for his display.
If there is one benefit to the minimal work from **Fulham**in the transfer window, it is the fact that **Joshua King**continues to take his chances. The 18-year-old has a knack for getting in spaces at the right time to do damage, and the mobility to match the intelligence at the top of the English game.
His disallowed goal showed great poise, **Malo Gusto**pulled out a last ditch tackle to deny a strike, and the hosts had Caicedo to thank for stopping an assist with a cutback towards Timothy Castagne.
If he keeps going this way, it will not be long until King can celebrate that first **Premier League**goal.