Fulham delighted their fans with a hard-fought victory against Chelsea in the 21st round of the Premier League. The crucial moment came in the second half when Raúl Jiménez headed home to give Fulham the lead at the 54th minute. Chelsea had briefly leveled the match with a goal from Liam Delap in the 71st minute, leveling things up after Jiménez’s opener.
Fulham’s winning goal came shortly after, in the 80th minute, when Harry Wilson electrified the crowd by skillfully maneuvering down the right flank and accurately firing into the bottom corner, leaving Chelsea’s keeper Robert Sánchez with no chance.
Earlier in the match, Chelsea nearly took the lead when Andrey Santos’ effort hit the post in the 18th minute, but the Blues couldn’t capitalize on their chances throughout the game.
The standout performer for Fulham was undoubtedly Harry Wilson, who not only scored the winning goal but was also instrumental in the game, completing 22 passes and attempting 9 shots on goal.
Defensively, Issa Diop made a significant impact, clearing six potential threats and establishing himself as a key figure in Fulham’s back line.
Fulham’s manager, Marco Saraiva da Silva, opted for a 3-6-1 formation with Bernd Leno in goal; a defensive trio of Issa Diop, Joachim Andersen, and Jorge Cuenca; a midfield featuring Timothy Castagne, Sander Berge, Thomas Cairney, Antonee Robinson, Harry Wilson, and Emile Smith Rowe, with Raúl Jiménez leading the line.
Chelsea, managed by Calum McFarlane, deployed a 4-5-1 setup with Robert Sánchez in goal, a defensive line of Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Marc Cucurella, and a midfield encompassing Moisés Caicedo, Andrey Santos, Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández, and Pedro Neto, with Liam Delap as the lone striker.
The match was officiated by Peter Bankes at Craven Cottage.
Looking ahead to their next matches, Fulham will face Leeds United on the road, while Chelsea will host Brentford. This victory propels Fulham to 31 points in the league, placing them ninth, while Chelsea also stays on 31 points in eighth position.
Fulham Substitutions
45’ 2H – Jorge Cuenca off for Kevin Santos
72’ 2H – Antonee Robinson off for Ryan Sessegnon and Thomas Cairney off for Sasa Lukic
82’ 2H – Emile Smith Rowe off for Harrison Reed
90’ 2H – Harry Wilson off for Adama Traoré
Yellow Cards for Fulham:
25’ 1H – Marco Silva (Insulting or disapproving of the referee), 51’ 1H – Jorge Cuenca (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement), 33’ 2H – Timothy Castagne (Unsporting behavior), 44’ 2H – Raúl Jiménez (Unsporting behavior)
Chelsea Substitutions
27’ 1H – Andrey Santos off for Jorrel Hato
64’ 2H – Enzo Fernández off for Reece James
74’ 2H – Cole Palmer off for João Pedro and Malo Gusto off for Joshua Acheampong
Yellow Cards for Chelsea:
23’ 1H – Tosin Adarabioyo (Insulting or disapproving of the referee), 23’ 1H – Enzo Fernández (Insulting or disapproving of the referee), 24’ 1H – Cole Palmer (Insulting or disapproving of the referee), and 46’ 2H – Calum McFarlane (Insulting or disapproving of the referee)
Red Card for Chelsea:
21’ 1H – Marc Cucurella (Direct red card)