LONDON – In deep injury time, Chelsea were frantically defending a single-goal lead with five at the back and no discernible attacking presence against a team that has not won at Stamford Bridge since 1979. These are desperate days for manager Mauricio Pochettino and his side young. Holding on to a 1-0 win over Fulham may seem like a fall from grace compared to the club's halcyon days, but Pochettino has to believe that little acorns will grow into mighty oaks.
Cole Palmer continues to look like Chelsea's best individual hope. The 21-year-old midfielder's penalty in stoppage time at the end of the first half further demonstrated his impressive composure under pressure. It capped off an impressive personal display as he was one of the only players to threaten to lift the game out of the meandering mediocrity it primarily resided in, while showing great determination to recover from a host of missed opportunities in the first semi-final of the Tuesday's EFL Cup. -Defeat against Middlesbrough.
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Chelsea's £40m summer signing from Manchester City now has 18 goal contributions (11 goals, 7 assists) in all competitions this season, the third-highest tally for a player aged 21 or younger in the five main leagues in Europe, only surpassed by Real Madrid. Bayer Leverkusen's Jude Bellingham (now 22) and Florian Wirtz (20) have had a greater influence.
The victory over Fulham means Chelsea have won three Premier League games in a row for the first time since October 2022. Not that Stamford Bridge still looks anything like the fortress of yesteryear. There was a distinct chill in the air, beyond the chilly January weather in London, with Chelsea fans on edge at all times, bemoaning the lack of cutting edge in attack, misplaced passes and the precarious nature of their lead. .
Angry scenes in which some traveling Chelsea fans shouted abuse at their own players against Middlesbrough should serve as a warning sign for Pochettino. He's in for a test of patience as the coach tries to mold a team and the fans here need something to back them up.
In addition to Palmer's class, Conor Gallagher's tireless effort is one of those characteristics. He almost capped another spirited performance with a brilliant goal, hitting Bernd Leno's right post with a sublime shot with the outside of his right foot from the edge of the area.
That would have been tough for Fulham, who were in this game all along but lacked the quality to hurt their opponents. They have now won just one of their last 24 league games against Chelsea.
Their task could have been much easier had Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto been sent off for a late challenge on Willian after 39 minutes. Referee Anthony Taylor brandished a yellow card and VAR official Michael Salisbury decided that Gusto's challenge was neither dangerous nor reckless and therefore did not merit further punishment.
“We have to talk about Gusto's red card, it's clear,” said Fulham manager Marco Silva. “It is difficult to see how things are not consistent at the level we are at. This is the Premier League. In 10 of those moments, nine times it is a red card. It is a clear red card for me. The VAR reviewed and this time he didn't give [it].
“I haven't spoken to the referees. I don't want to say what the fourth official said. He has the same opinion as me, but it's not up to him to say it, it's up to the VAR to decide. It's a normal decision by the referee, but “The help must come from the VAR.”
Pochettino responded: “If you put me in your place, I would tell you it was a red card. The action, they thought it was a yellow card. Good for us.”
A few minutes later came an equally crucial moment. A clever reverse pass from Palmer found Raheem Sterling in the box. Sterling stepped back inside and Issa Diop stuck out a leg in hope rather than expectation, making contact with the England winger to bring him down. It was Chelsea's eighth penalty of the season (Sterling has won three) and both are Premier League highs.
Even though Fulham showed signs of battle fatigue since their own midweek EFL Cup semi-final against Liverpool, Chelsea were unable to finish off their opponents. Blues goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic saved well from Harry Wilson in the first half and again from Raúl Jiménez in the second. Left-back Ben Chilwell then came on to make his first Chelsea appearance since September 27 following a hamstring injury, another small step in the right direction along with a fourth consecutive home win in all competitions. .
“If we go back to the last few months, we were one of the best teams and in the Premier League, three games in a row winning here, four at Stamford Bridge, it is important for the team because of the way we are and the way we are building this process,” Pochettino said. “It's important to feel confident and accept criticism.”
At one point it seemed like this game would only be memorable for a bizarre PR stunt in which seven men in matching suits stood up at intervals during the game as part of a marketing campaign to promote a movie coming out next month. and that involves Todd Boehly's production company. All this happened a few meters from Pochettino's bench.
“I was conscious,” Pochettino said. “It didn't affect the show. For me, it's welcome. It's part of the show. It didn't affect the professionals, the players or us doing our job. It was nice for the fans to see the promotion for The Movie. It looks very good the movie, 'Argylle'. It looks very, very good. Maybe they'll invite me to the premiere.”
The film will do well to replicate the tension on display here.
