Chelsea v Fulham LIVE: Result and reaction as Cole Palmer penalty enough for Blues to triumph
Chelsea 1-0 Fulham: Cole Palmer’s penalty just before the break was enough for the Blues to edge to victory
Chelsea made it three Premier League wins in a row for the first time since October 2022 as Cole Palmer’s penalty guided them to a 1-0 victory over Fulham at Stamford Bridge.
The winning goal came in stoppage time at the end of the first half, the top scorer for Mauricio Pochettino’s side notching his ninth goal of the season after Raheem Sterling was tripped in the box.
However, the move had been started by a moment of Palmer genius, spotting a gap and threading a superb ball through the middle that drew defender Issa Diop into a clumsy foul.
Marco Silva’s visitors never truly looked beaten until the final whistle sounded. Chelsea, though, defended doggedly in the final moments to breathe genuine momentum into their season.
Relive the game below:
SAVE! Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
74 mins: Fulham now putting the pressure on! Pereira takes on his man and advances into the box from the left. His pull-back goes behind a slipping Palmer and Jimenez gets a shot at goal but Petrovic dives to his right to push it away with a strong hand.
Shortly after, Jimenez gets another shot away but Petrovic is solid at his near post.
Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
72 mins: Things starting to get frantic now. Chelsea put pressure on Fulham but blocks are flying in and eventually Gallagher fires well over the bar.
A Sterling cross then blocked out for a corner, which is cleared
Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
66 mins: Now Chelsea respond with a sub of their own. Armando Broja - still getting full fitness back from injury - is off with Noni Madueke coming on
Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
64 mins: A double change for Fulham as Timothy Castagne and Bobby DeCordova-Reid are on for Kenny Tete and Harry Wilson. Can the fresh legs get them back in this match?
Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
59 mins: Enzo Fernandez gets a yellow card as he almost scissor tackles Cairney.
Then a great block by Tete! Chelsea swarm forward, with the crowd getting behind them. The ball is slid in to Sterling’s feet eight yards out and he looks set to score but Tete slides in to block the ball away. Superb defending.
Chelsea then win a corner but Sterling’s cross is claimed by Leno after a short-corner routine.
CHANCE! Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
53 mins: This should be 2-0 to Chelsea. Good patience by Broja on the left, lays it back and the cross is whipped in where Sterling is unmarked on the six-yard box line! He flicks the header but Leno manages to parry it away.
Sterling may have been offside, it certainly would have been interesting to see if it had stood.
Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
49 mins: Fulham win a free-kick on the left and whip it in to try and cause havoc in the box but it’s scrambled away. Chelsea then counter – Fernandez rides one challenge but is crudely hacked down by Wilson on the halfway line to stop the break in its tracks. Wilson yellow-carded for his trouble, taking one for the team.
Chelsea then work the ball into the box via Palmer and Broja tries to work half a yard to shoot but he’s crowded out.
KICK-OFF! Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
Back underway in west London. That penalty just before the break was a real bonus for Chelsea - can they turn it into a third straight Premier League win?
HALF-TIME! Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
Here’s that Cole Palmer penalty that is the difference between the teams so far
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