The Blues celebrated a 2-0 victory against Fulham in a match held at Stamford Bridge for the third round of the Premier League. João Pedro opened the scoring in the 54th minute of the first half, breaking the deadlock, while Enzo Fernández extended the lead with a penalty in the 55th minute of the second half.
João Pedro was undoubtedly the standout player of the match. The Chelsea midfielder not only netted a goal but also completed 24 successful passes and attempted three shots on goal.
Enzo Fernández also played a crucial role, contributing significantly with another goal and completing 38 passes successfully during the game.
Chelsea’s manager, Enzo Maresca, set up his team in a 4-5-1 formation, featuring Robert Sánchez as the goalkeeper, with a defensive line consisting of Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Marc Cucurella. The midfield consisted of Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Estêvão, João Pedro, and Pedro Neto, while Liam Delap led the attack.
On the other hand, Fulham’s head coach Marco Saraiva da Silva opted for a similar 4-5-1 strategy with Bernd Leno in goal, supported by defenders Kenny Tete, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, and Ryan Sessegnon. Their midfield included Sasa Lukic, Sander Berge, Timothy Castagne, Joshua King, and Alex Iwobi, with Rodrigo Muniz as the lone forward.
The match was conducted by referee Robert Jones.
Looking ahead, Chelsea will face Brentford in their next fixture, while Fulham will host Leeds United at Craven Cottage. Currently, Chelsea sits at the top of the table with 7 points, while Fulham is in 14th place with 2 points.
Substitutions for Chelsea
14’ 1H – Liam Delap was replaced by Tyrique George
80’ 2H – Tyrique George was replaced by Andrey Santos; Pedro Neto was substituted for Reece James
Yellow Cards for Chelsea:
37’ 1H Moisés Caicedo (Unsportsmanlike behavior)
47’ 2H Andrey Santos (Unsportsmanlike behavior)
Substitutions for Fulham
59’ 2H – Rodrigo Muniz was substituted by Raúl Jiménez; Timothy Castagne was replaced by Harry Wilson
66’ 2H – Joshua King was substituted by Emile Smith Rowe; Ryan Sessegnon was replaced by Antonee Robinson; Estêvão was substituted by Jamie Bynoe-Gittens
82’ 2H – Alex Iwobi was replaced by Adama Traoré
Yellow Cards for Fulham:
28’ 2H Alex Iwobi (Holding an opponent to prevent them from advancing); Sasa Lukic (Unsportsmanlike behavior)