Chelsea 1 – 2 Fulham

Fulham delivered a stoppage-time hammer blow to Chelsea’s Premier League title aspirations with Rodrigo Muniz’s last-gasp end grabbing a 2-1 win and a primary victory at Stamford Bridge for the Cottagers since 1979.

Muniz was in acres of area within the field when Sasa Lukic discovered him with a low cross to ship a belated Christmas reward to the elated travelling assist. The Fulham bench emptied in celebration – Chelsea’s subs, teaching workers and boss Enzo Maresca slumped again into their seats.

The Blues head coach has repeatedly tempered discuss of a title problem and, after drawing with Everton on the weekend, this Boxing Day derby defeat leaves them reeling. They end this spherical of matches seven factors adrift of Liverpool, who gained certainly one of their two video games in hand in opposition to Leicester later within the day.

Sub Harry Wilson – who had turned one other west London derby in opposition to Brentford with heroics off the bench earlier this season – cancelled out Cole Palmer’s great opener with a close-range header and Fulham capitalised on the counter to attain a historic victory over their neighbours.

For Fulham – who’ve taken factors off Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham this season – this was one other landmark second of their development below Marco Silva. Hit by accidents to their midfield, they switched to a again 5 and weren’t at their typical ball-playing finest for a lot of the competition. However after they pushed ahead after the break they confirmed the tempo and precision to take an enormous scalp. They end the day stage on factors with defending champions Man Metropolis and on the point of the European qualification locations.

The guests ought to have been stage nicely earlier than Wilson’s 83rd-minute intervention however Antonee Robinson’s often trusty contact let him down on the essential second and allowed Robert Sanchez to smother the shot. In the meantime, Fulham ‘keeper Bernd Leno additionally caught the attention with a number of key stops – significantly late on when he denied Christopher Nkunku after which Jadon Sancho.

Leno additionally tipped an Enzo Fernandez drive over the bar however after Palmer beat a few Fulham challenges and completed sweetly by way of the legs of Issa Diop and into the underside nook within the first half, Chelsea’s threatening moments have been solely fleeting.

A Levi Colwill header rightly dominated out for offside at the beginning of the second half was one other – however this maybe was a efficiency that backed up Maresca’s claims his facet should not but able to duel for the largest prizes.

Merson: Chelsea appeared nervous

Paul Merson on Soccer Saturday:

“Chelsea simply sat again and let Fulham dictate the sport after going a aim up. Fulham appeared essentially the most harmful workforce. Chelsea saved sitting again.

“Since they’ve gone second within the league, I do not know if the nerves have hit them they usually’ve bought just a little bit tight, as a result of in opposition to Everton they weren’t nice both.

“It ups the expectation, 100 per cent. Now impulsively we’re speaking about Chelsea getting high 4, whereas earlier than it was, ‘Chelsea are within the title race.’

“It is all constructed up and I simply thought at this time they appeared nervous. They have too many good gamers to take a seat again like that. For me, they don’t seem to be actually a serious counter-attacking workforce.

“You have to go and shut video games down. I believed Fulham completely deserved it in the long run.”

Maresca: We now have to handle video games higher

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca:

“To concede the aim we conceded on the finish, it’s a unhealthy feeling. I mentioned many occasions when you possibly can’t win it is vital you do not lose. The first15 minutes of the second half was the purpose I did not like – we conceded so many transitions. We all know they’re a workforce constructing from transitions. First half we managed that excellent, second half we gave them an excessive amount of power.

“Its tough to discover a workforce with so many gamers that may run rather a lot. Earlier than you assault it’s a must to make passes after which we’re collectively. It is a lesson we will be taught. In the event that they assault fast and we assault fast it turns into a basketball recreation.

“The truth: we will see there are various issues we will do higher. For certain tonight one of many issues is recreation administration. But additionally I believe we did many good issues. I did not see the gamers with stress [of a title race].

Silva: We wished to present this happiness to our followers on Boxing Day

Fulham boss Marco Silva:

Conceding the primary aim isn’t straightforward. All through the primary half we improved in that state of affairs, began to regulate it a bit higher. We knew Neto would observe Robinson all the way in which. Second half the response was high. We modified some issues in our system, with out Sander Berge. We began not at the very best stage however I actually consider we deserved the three factors. With higher selections within the second half I believe we did nicely.

From the start of December, our unbeaten run retains going. Our speech earlier than the sport was about breaking this report [at Stamford Bridge]. We wished to present this happiness to our followers on Boxing Day, a big day, and for the subsequent few days them to have this sense.

We have been with out 4 or 5 gamers. We tried to do one thing completely different. However we confirmed now we have been rising. The group is responding rather well, the gamers from the bench made one other large impression. Our followers deserve the sensation they’ve proper now. This end result isn’t going to vary our ambitions.

Evaluation: Chelsea nonetheless have rather a lot to be taught

Sky Sports activities’ Zinny Boswell at Stamford Bridge:

Enzo Maresca saved referring to Chelsea’s failure to handle the sport in opposition to Fulham as the explanation for dropping at house in opposition to their west London rivals for the primary time since 1979. The primary quarter-hour of the second half significantly, he mentioned, price his facet.

There was a second simply earlier than the hour, when it was 1-0, which illustrated precisely what Maresca was getting at. Cole Palmer picked up the ball with Chelsea breaking and blue shirts bursting ahead. Palmer disillusioned them by intentionally slowing the sport down.

Chelsea voices within the crowd couldn’t disguise their upset. Maresca was alone in applauding the perceived adverse motion. These are the moments he needs to see extra of from his facet. Fulham got here in search of transitions, and he wished to take that away.

Maresca ideally would really like his workforce to maneuver up the pitch as a unit to keep away from leaving holes for the opposition to reveal – “Earlier than you assault, you’ll want to make passes, passes, passes so we’re collectively,” the Chelsea boss mentioned – even when it is on the expense of pleasure.

Leicester followers generally grew to become weary with the methods of their former supervisor final season regardless of him main them to a snug promotion as Championship winners. Maresca’s philosophy clearly takes a while to regulate to. Not everybody at Chelsea will get it but.

That is maybe why he has repeatedly mentioned Chelsea aren’t able to problem for the title but. Outcomes have been spectacular, this being their first defeat within the league since dropping at Liverpool in October, however he is aware of that the workforce are nonetheless studying methods to play his approach.

Evaluation: Spectacular Fulham on the rise below Silva

Sky Sports activities’ Peter Smith at Stamford Bridge:

At first of this season, had you advised Fulham supporters they’d be heading house on Boxing Day with their facet stage on factors with defending Premier League champions Manchester Metropolis, they might not have believed you. However whereas Metropolis have slumped, it is a Fulham workforce on the up below Marco Silva. A primary win at Stamford Bridge since 1979 is validation of that.

Maybe much more impressively, this was a historic win achieved with out Emile Smith Rowe or Sander Berge, two of their high performers this time period. Harrison Reed was additionally lacking from a depleted midfield, whereas regulars Kenny Tete and Reiss Nelson are within the remedy room, too.

However Fulham have discovered a approach to take factors off Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham this time period and, with a change in formation right here, they’ve dealt a blow to neighbours Chelsea. It is a end result they may experience. However with Silva on the helm and this gifted group discovering methods to win in several methods, their prospects for 2025 are wanting vibrant.

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