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:
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Fulham (Palmer pen 45+3’)
Cole Palmer has been money from the penalty spot this season and the youngster does it again! Sends Bernd Leno the wrong way and he thumps the ball into the right corner.
Nice penalty and Chelsea lead!
PENALTY! Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
45+2 mins: Just seconds remaining in the first half and Chelsea have a penalty! Sterling cuts in and his chop-back fools Diop who falls, sticks a leg out and brings Sterling down.
A clear penalty and Chelsea have the chance to lead at the break, with Cole Palmer stepping up.
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
44 mins: A bit better from that corner by Fulham, aiming for Tosin, and although it’s half-cleared, Cairney can get a shot away which deflects wide for another corner.
That one comes to nothing though. Injury-time in the first half beckoning now and it’s been a 45 minutes lacking real quality.
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
41 mins: Fulham earn another corner but, as is emblematic of this game, it’s a pretty poor set-piece. Pereira’s cross is far too low and fails to get past the first man, allowing it to be hacked away.
Chelsea try to break at speed but the Fulham defence is disciplined and Robinson can tidy up.
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
39 mins: Oooh, that’s a nasty one from Malo Gusto. He loses control of the ball in the attacking third and lunges to try and get it back.
It’s studs up, over the top of the ball and he crunches the top of Willian’s foot who goes down in pain. Gusto gets a yellow card but that wasn’t a million miles away form being even more severe a punishment. VAR complete their check and are happy with a yellow.
Willian back to his feet thankfully. He looked in a lot of pain initially.
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
37 mins: Fulham win a corner through ex-Chelsea man Willian - they’re getting some joy down that left-hand side. A short corner is eventually worked to Cairney on the edge of the box but his shot is high, wide and not so handsome.
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
34 mins: Chelsea press again as Gallagher gets to the by-line but his cross is easily plucked out of the air by Leno. The Blues are getting in good positions but lacking that clinical edge in the final third at the minute
SAVE! Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
28 mins: Fulham’s best chance by a long chalk and a good save by Petrovic to keep it 0-0! The Cottagers find space down the left and Robinson’s low cross is fizzed across the box to Wilson at the back post. He hits it first time and gets the shot on target but Petrovic springs across to push it away.
A save you’d expect him to make but still had to be made.
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
25 mins: Chelsea win a corner as a cross is blocked but, again, they don’t do enough from the set-piece and it’s easily cleared by Fulham.
Down the other end, Fulham finally get a shot away as they pinch the ball back and Andreas Pereira takes a pop at goal from 25 yards. But it’s a simple save for Petrovic down to his right.
CHANCE! Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
20 mins: The best chance for Chelsea so far. They work the ball down the left as Sterling finds Fernandez. He stands up a cross and Broja nips in front of his marker to get a head on the ball but it flies wide.
Good movement by Broja and nice cross, Chelsea just couldn’t find the finish.
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