What goes around comes around. What Fulham did at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day, Chelsea replicated at Craven Cottage this afternoon to breath new life into their Champions’ League hopes. Alex Iwobi’s sweet strike gave Marco Silva’s side a fully merited half time lead, but the hosts were slow to react to Enzo Maresca’s tactical tweaks during the interval and paid the ultimate penalty for failing to make their early dominance count. Teenager Tariq George picked the perfect moment to score his first Premier League goal with seven minutes left and, three minutes into stoppage time, Pedro Neto spun superbly in the area to snatch all three points for the visitors.
Chelsea’s sixth win in their last seven visits to the Cottage will come as blessed relief to Maresca, whose side were booed off on Thursday night after reaching the Conference League semi-finals following an abject display against Legia Warsaw. For forty five minutes by the banks of the Thames, they were out thought and outfought. The hosts initially coped well without their Boxing Day hero Rodrigo Muniz after the Brazilian picked up a knock in training this week. Andreas Pereira buzzed around the box with intent from the off – having been denied an early goal by an offside flag flag – whilst Raul Jimenez led the line manfully, whilst fending off a fair bit of grappling from Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill.
Fulham played the more fluent football, but Chelsea countered with intent. Bernd Leno easily handled tame shots from Cole Palmer and Reece James, a surprise starter at right back, before scampering off his line to avert any danger as Nicolas Jackson tried to turn home Noni Madueke’s cross. Ryan Sessegnon and Iwobi gained far greater joy when swapping wings than they managed at Bournemouth on Monday – and it was no surprise that the pair combined to give the Whites the lead on twenty minutes.
This derby matters to Sessegnon, a Roehampton boy, and that desire saw him nip in to pinch possession from James and drove at the retreating visiting defence before playing it left for Iwobi. The Nigerian international’s 20-yard drive flew past a helpless Robert Sanchez and into the bottom corner. The goal prompted a period of Fulham pressure that didn’t deliver the vital second. Seconds after he sought on Sessegnon when a shot at goal seemed the better option, Sander Berge had a free run at a corner but couldn’t connect, whilst Pereira twice failed to get a shot off from a dangerous position.
Chelsea came close when Neto’s cross narrowly eluded Jackson but the visitors were enlivened by a double half-time change that saw Malo Gusto and Jadon Sancho replace James and Maudeke. The former Borussia Dortmund winger didn’t waste any time in testing Leno, although the German goalkeeper easily dealt with his effort. Hearts were in mouths when Neto had sight of six yards out, but the Fulham custodian improvised to block the shot with his leg at the near post.
Fulham struggled to match the levels of their industrious first half display. They lost Sessegnon’s sharpness, with the winger replaced shortly after Marco Cucurella had left his foot in with the ball long gone, and Silva waited too long to counter Chelsea’s control of the engine room. Tom Cairney came on for his 350th Fulham appearance but his side’s game management was found severely lacking – not for the first time this term. Kenny Tete was outstanding on his first start since December, but Fulham folded once the Dutch right back had taken his leave.
Nineteen year-old George had barely been on the field five minutes when he punished a lack of concentration from Antonee Robinson by shooting superbly into the bottom corner from 20 yards. Silva had been waiting to introduce Adama Traore and Carlos Vinicius before the goal and made the changes anyway. Pereira wasted a free-kick straight after the equaliser, blazing into the Putney End, and Chelsea were emboldened by the sight of six minutes of added time on the fourth official’s board.
Leno got his angles right to prevent Neto from nicking it at the near post, but the former Wolves winger turned terrifically in the area after a one-two with Enzo Fernandes and hammered home to the delight of the travelling fans, who celebrated as wild a turnaround as Fulham enjoyed in the reverse fixture just after Christmas. On such moments, seasons turn.
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete (Castagne 78), A. Robinson, Andersen, Bassey; Berge, Lukic (Cairney 72); R. Sessegnon (Wilson 78), Iwobi (Traore 84), Pereira; Jimenez (Vinicius 84). Subs (not used): Benda, Cuenca, Reed, Willian.
BOOKED: Bassey.
GOAL: Iwobi (21).
CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James (Gusto 45; Adarabioyo 89), Cucurella, T. Chalobah, Colwill; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke (Sancho 45), Neto, Palmer; Jackson (George 78). Subs (not used): Jorgensen, Badiashile, Acheampong, Lavia.
BOOKED: Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo.
GOALS: George (83), Neto (90+3).
REFEREE: Anthony Taylor (Greater Manchester)
ATTENDANCE: 27,712
We Were Okay until the substitutions. I completely fail to understand why Lukic was taken off and the pedestrian Cairney was brought on. He has been a great player for us but is now past his sell by date. Tete showed he is a much better option than Castagne. We lack any depth in the squad. Another disappointing afternoon the Cottage. I believe we have now dropped more points from winning positions than any other club in the division. That on itself tells a story
I agree what was he thinking taking off Lukic and Tete and please don’t say that they were tired if they can’t play for 90 plus minutes then our training isn’t good enough for the premier, they had a goal scored by a teenager something Silva needs to do instead of playing old players constantly, Cairney is way past his best now and why don’t we give King and others a start. Forget Europe we will probably lose to Southampton as well. Vinicius what a joke?
I looked forward to this game since we beat Liverpool, I am so angry as to what happened I want our manager to give the supporters an explanation as to what happened out there in his words slip ups but no Marco they were mistakes by you the manager have some guts and come on this column and explain your actions, there are loads of questions we as supporters want to ask as to why did he replace Lukic and Tete Adama and Harry Wilson coming on miles to late big question what was 34 year old Cairney even doing on the pitch and we have given him another year why?
Where was Josh King why was Sess taken off? We have given away 25 points this season from winning positions it does not take a genius to work out where in the league we would be now with those points
We are not good enough at the moment until players changes have to be made I don’t normally slag off the manager I always try to accept what he has done so far for this football club but today was totally unacceptable, seeing Vinicius come on was pure mickey taking but he did more in his time on the field than Jimenez did maybe play Wilson or Adama up front
We were holding Chelsea until those substitutions but the one goal was not good enough by PL standards especially against this mob
I do not wish to defend the manager, but the truth is Silva has not got much to choose from when looking at this bench. Yes i totally agree, sadly Cairney is not a Premier League player anymore, but Chelsea brought in over 100 milions in substitutes alone. We were unlucky todatly, we deserved at least a point.
We played well in the first half. Why take lukic off he was not booked and in my view our best midfield player this season far more mobile than Berg. Cairney was a hinderance today. King should be on the bench or even bring Wilson on in midfield. Jiminez did not have the best day. Vinicius have proved he is worthless Something outrageous when Jiminez was taken up put Bassey up front and put Cuenca on in the defence. I really believe today we got nothing because of the poor substitutions. Leno had no chance with either goal and had a good match as did Tete who is far superior then Castagne. Please let another player rather than Periera take the dead ball kicks. He otherwise had a decent match and ran his socks off.
Most definitely Silva must, once again, take the blame for poor use of substitutes. Not only his woeful decisions as to who should be replaced but his timing.
Maresca, to his credit, made the changes that Chelsea needed at half time; something that Silva should have reacted to-but didn’t. He allowed Chelsea, slowly but surely, to dominate and still did nothing.
How he expected to turn things around with just 10 minutes left is beyond my comprehension.
For all the money that they have spent, Chelsea were there for the taking with so many of their players out of sorts. Somebody just forgot to tell Marco Silva.
Sorry to say, that I have often expressed concern with Marco’s use of substitutions in the full knowledge I’m not really qualified to mount a sensible challenge to them. Reading your comments it seems this is another example that has left people scratching their heads.
I really sympathise with him bearing in mind the lack of options he has at his disposal. The use of subs is now bordering on an art form, but you have to have the players.
We have had a good season let down by a lack of depth, it’s no coincidence to lose umpteen games in the final few minutes.
We all got carried away just a tad with talk of Europe, which was a real outside possibility and we really should have sensed that we have neither the overall class nor match winners to realise our dream. Well done, try again next season.
Horrible mess.
…but please recall just a few games ago we were talking of super subs…late substitutions were deemed brilliant…now the opposite.
We beat Liverpool one week rather fortunately and lose to Chelsea unfortunately.
Our team should not prevail in any of those games…compare the squads…Carlos Vinicius was the back up striker….
Its been wonderful to beat all those top teams.
To moan about 25 lost points is not to moan about all those points gained against Brentford and at Stamford Bridge and so on..
I agree this would be the year to qualify for Europe given Spurs and DisUnited’s failed seasons.
…but please be pleased, at least there’s no issue with relegation Kenny’s back and ESR wasn’t even one of the subs.