Chelsea were helped by the referee as they defeated local rival Fulham in a game full of controversial decisions. Visitors thought they had won an early opening when teenager Josh King raced and found the back of the net. However, it was ruled out after VAR intervention against Trevoh Chalobah’s suspicious foul.
Rodrigo Muniz spun with the ball while stomping on the foot of a Chelsea defender, and was inexplicably considered a “careless challenge” by referee Robert Jones. The hosts opened up a score at the end of the first half, with Joan Pedro heading home from the corner. After a minimum of 8 minutes of extra time had already passed, Fulham’s manager, Marco Silva Zaulius, was released.
In the second half, Chelsea got another break when they were given a penalty for a handball inside the box. The decision was another controversial moment, considering Pedro seemed to handle the ball a while back.
However, it appears to have been unrelated as Kenny Tete kicked it against him. Enzo Fernandez stepped up and converted Chelsea’s lead from the spot into a double, securing all three points in addition to West London’s bragging rights.
Following today’s game, we will slate Chelsea players with sports fees…
Chelsea Player Rating vs Fulham
Robert Sanchez-6
He was easily beaten with an unauthorized goal, but made some good saves in the first half to deny Fulham. There’s very little to do after the break, and I won my second clean sheet in the new Premier League season.
Malo Gusto-6
He got a nod from the right back in front of Reese James, who was entrusted to the bench. He began to defend and contribute a lot when Chelsea was pushing through the goal. Decent display.
Toshin Adaribioyo – 6
It looked a little late at times, but did enough to help his side get a clean sheet. We headed out of point blank range as the ball rattled around the box in the first half following Chelsea’s corner.
Trevoh Chalobah -6
He was fouled by accumulation of Fulham’s unauthorized goals, but he rushed out of position and escaped with one. Separately, he used his mobility and positional awareness to erase the attack.
Marc Cucurella -7
His defensive duties worked and he was one of Chelsea’s key players. We moved forward to assist in the final third, creating a handful of important tackles.
Moises Caiceceo -8
I ran shows in the midfield and did some dirt work that was often unnoticed. He returned spectacularly to deny Timothy Castagne in his final ditch challenge. It was booked just before the break due to a fierce challenge in the middle.
Enzo Fernandez-7
I was responsible for a slightly sloppy passing in the early exchange. It improved as the game progressed, and his impressive set-piece delivery was rewarded with assists. A goal was added from a penalty spot in the second half.
Estevao Willian -6
It took me a while to get into the swing of things, but the ball showed a flash of quality. It was still quite lively, but it was fun to watch and should grow into an incredible talent for Blues.
Joao Pedro -8
Without Cole Palmer, they performed consecutively in the creative roles of the second game. He rose to the highest to score just before the break, giving Chelsea the lead with perfect timing. You will need to add another one later.
Pedro Neto -5
I tried to make things happen under the left side but couldn’t carve out many note opportunities. Not his biggest display in a Chelsea shirt, but not his worst either.
Liam Delap -n/a
Bend in from the first whi and plunge into the defender like a rabies bulldog. He was kicked out just 14 minutes later due to obvious hamstring damage. It’s bad news for Chelsea and hopefully a quick recovery.
Alternatives
Tyrique George -5
It was introduced to replace the injured Liam Dellup as the sole striker, but struggled to lead the line effectively. I found it difficult to get myself into the right area. In a rare case of a submarine being handed down, he was replaced at the closing stage.
Jamie Gittens-6
I came for the last 25 minutes instead of Estevao Willian. With the exception of the gorgeous cross far beyond Pedro, he was connected little attention.
Reese James-N/A.
A late addition.
Andrei Santos-N/A.
A late addition.
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