The contrast between January’s euphoria and October’s desolation was stark. Where Fulham were all hustle and bustle in the new year and put their local rivals on the back foot from the outset on their way to a rare success in the SW6 derby, this was just the sort of stroll that beleaguered Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino would have ordered. Chelsea registered their first Premier League win since August without breaking sweat – scoring twice in 82 seconds – and there was even a first goal for Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk.

The £88.5m man took his goal splendidly in the eighteenth minute, by which time the Blues could have bene well in front. The visitors made light of missing eleven first-team players through injury and suspension with Mudryk showing the pace that had made him such a hot property last year – beating Timothy Castagne at will along the left flank in the early stages, even if his early sighters proved a little wayward.

But he brilliantly controlled a glorious closs from Levi Colwill and drilled past Bernd Leno to end both his own goal drought since moving to Stamford Bridge from Shakhtar Donetsk in January and Chelsea’s long wait for a league goal – which stretched back to August 25 against lowly Luton Town. But like London buses, another arrived immediately afterwards. Armando Broja was the beneficiary of Tim Ream’s attempted tackle as the American veteran sought to make amends for presenting the ball straight to Palmer and the surprise starter bundled in a second just twenty seconds after Fulham had kicked off a goal behind.

The double blow sucked the life out of a derby that Pochettino’s side had controlled with an assurance that has been missing on his return to English football. They were helped by imperious performances from Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandes, whilst Conor Gallagher and the prominent Cole Palmer were able to play through Fulham’s lacklustre press at will. The home side’s football was pedestrian, with their only chances before the half-time whistle coming from set pieces. Raul Jimenez headed an Andreas Pereira corner over the bar on the stretch with his only opportunity of the evening.

Fulham improved briefly once Alex Iwobi and Carlos Vincius were introduced from the bench. The Nigerian international almost immediately volleyed into the turf at the back post having been found by a floated cross from Willian before Vinicius headed tamely at goal as Fulham’s flurry rather petered out. Their clearest chance came when Sasa Lukic was teed up by Tom Cairney’s teasing pass but the Serbian substitute shot straight at Robert Sanchez.

Marco Silva’s side arguably paid the penalty for paying Chelsea, who started the evening in fifteenth place, far too much respect. They had barely made an impression on their opposition before the visitors put together their first flowing passing move with Mudryk to the fore. The 22 year-old winger looked dangerous whenever he had the ball at his feet and the fluidity of the movement between Palmer, Gallagher, Fernandez and Broja posed the home defence all sorts of problems. Just as concerning for Silva will be Fulham’s struggles at the other end of the pitch – they look horribly harmless having lost the services of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Diop, Ream; Palhinha, Reed (Cairney 65); Wilson (Iwobi 54), Willian, Pereira (Lukic 75); Jimenez (Vinicius 53). Subs (not used): Rodak, Ballo-Toure, Bassey, Decordova-Reid, Muniz.

BOOKED: Pereira.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Cucurella, Colwill, Disasi, Silva; Caicedo (Madueke 90+6), Gallagher; Palmer (Ugochukwu 78), Mudryk (Maatsen 45), Fernandez (Matos 90+5); Broja (Sterling 65). Subs (not used): Petrovic, Washington, Gilchrist, Brooking.

BOOKED: Cucurella, Palmer, Sterling, Sanchez.

GOALS: Mudryk (18), Broja (19).

REFEREE: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).

ATTENDANCE: 24,445.