Premier League - Wednesday 07th January 2026, 7:30 PM
Fulham2
(0)
-
(0)
1
Chelsea
Attendance: 26990
Referee: Peter Bankes (Lancashire)
Match events
22
Cucurella (sf)
24
Fernández
24
Adarabioyo
25
Palmer
28
Hato
28
A Santos
Cuenca )f)
45
Kevin
45
Cuenca
45
Jiménez
55
65
James
65
Fernandez
72
Delap
Lukic
73
Sessegnon
73
Robinson
73
75
J Pedro
75
Palmer
76
Acheampong
76
Gusto
Castagne (f)
78
Wilson
81
Reed
83
Smith Rowe
83
Jiménez (f)
90
Traore
91
Wilson
91
Cairney
730
Match review
Match Report
Fulham (0) 2-1 (0) Chelsea
Premiership Match Day 21 25/26 at Craven Cottage
Wednesday 7th January 2026 KO: 19:30
Referee:
Peter Bankes (Lancashire)
Live on Sky Sports
|
Fulham made it six Premier League games unbeaten with victory in the SW6 derby on Wednesday evening.
A highly eventful first half saw Chelsea full-back Marc Cucurella sent off for hauling down Harry Wilson when he was the last man, before Wilson saw a goal chalked off in stoppage time by VAR.
The second period was just as chaotic, but this time in terms of goalmouth action. Raúl Jiménez headed us in front from a peach of a Sander Berge delivery, only for Liam Delap to equalise.
But Wilson continued his red hot form with a rare right footed finish nine minutes from time to earn a third win over our local rivals during Marco Silva’s tenure.
There was just the one change to the XI that began the Liverpool draw three days earlier, with Berge coming in for Saša Lukic, while Ryan Sessegnon made a welcome return to the bench.
Fewer than 90 seconds had been played when Wilson first stung the palms of Robert Sanchez at the end of a fine team move that began with a thumping Berge challenge on Moises Caicedo.
It was Wilson again who had the next attempt after quarter of an hour when Emile Smith Rowe had won him possession high up, but unfortunately the same outcome as Sanchez claimed his bending effort from the edge of the box.
Chelsea came within inches of taking the lead four minutes later, though. First, Andrey Santos met a corner but somehow only found the crossbar from a yard out, before Berge was there to clear Caicedo’s follow-up off the line.
After threatening from another corner but not capitalising, Chelsea’s protests at the goal kick awarded – led by Tosin Adarabioyo – gave Fulham an opportunity to act fast with the away defence out of position, with Leno’s long delivery playing in Wilson. Cucurella was with him all the way but couldn’t cope with the pace, resorting to hauling him down in the area and duly receiving his marching orders. VAR, however, believed that he had stopped fouling Wilson by the time they were in the box, and so a free-kick was given.
Fulham controlled the first half after that but it was the Blues who next registered a shot on target. Leno was more than equal to Cole Palmer’s effort.
Smith Rowe’s strike a minute later was much more dangerous, zipping agonisingly over Sanchez’s crossbar from 20 yards out.
| Match Stats |
Fulham |
Chelsea |
| Goals |
(0) 2 |
1 (0) |
|
| Scorers |
Jimenez 55 |
Delap 72 |
| Scorers |
Wilson 81 |
- |
| , |
| Goal attempts |
16 |
14 |
| On target |
5 |
6 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
31% |
31% |
| Possession |
55% |
45% |
| Passes |
561 |
459 |
| Passes Success |
87% |
85% |
| Crosses |
19 |
22 |
| Crosses Success |
21% |
18% |
| Corners |
2 |
11 |
| Tackles |
16 |
13 |
| Tackles Success |
63% |
69% |
| Saves |
4 |
3 |
| Fouls |
11 |
6 |
| Offsides |
1 |
2 |
| Yellows |
3 |
3 |
| Reds |
0 |
1 |
|
source: SkySports |
We had the ball in the net in stoppage time with a precise Wilson finish after he’d been found by Berge, but VAR ruled it out for an offside by Raúl in the build-up. He was off, but by seemingly less than 5cm, so a surprising outcome considering Liverpool’s goal was allowed to stand at the weekend…
In an attempt to make best use of the man advantage, Silva went more aggressive at the break, ditching the three at the back by introducing Kevin for Jorge Cuenca, who was on a booking.
After Pedro Neto fired wildly over, Wilson was next to have a go, with his piledriver changing direction courtesy of a huge Trevoh Chalobah deflection, spinning a yard wide of the far post with Sanchez scrambling. Issa Diop nodded off target from the subsequent corner.
We made the pressure tell 10 minutes into the second half, with a patiently worked goal. Berge had been immense all night, and he added an assist to his performance with a pearler of a cross to pick out the run of Raúl, who buried it low and hard with a bullet header into the corner.
Many in the ground thought Kevin had made it two soon after, but his rocket had rippled the wrong side of the netting.
Chelsea still had their threats, and things looked hairy when they managed to split the lines to send Delap clean through, but Leno made a wonderful sprawling save to deny him.
That was the first of three saves he was forced into in the space of a few minutes, with Caicedo and Palmer also kept out.
It was the most pressure Chelsea had exerted all night, and they eventually made it count when Delap tapped in after Antonee Robinson had flicked the ball onto his own post at a corner.
Fulham pulled the momentum back in our favour after that, with a couple of blocked Wilson efforts and a spectacular attempt from Kevin that was caught by Sanchez.
That gave the home fans a boost, and they were on their feet again when Wilson restored the lead, squeezing a shot into the corner with his right foot, following a stunning first touch to beat his man. The chance coming after Sanchez had beaten a powerful Smith Rowe drive back into danger.
That knocked the stuffing out of 10-man Chelsea and they failed to generate another opening against a thoroughly organised Fulham outfit, who held out to claim some thoroughly deserved local bragging rights.
Fulham boss Marco Silva speaking to Sky Sports:
"[Wilson] has been incredible. Right now everything that he touches becomes something magic. The fans should enjoy and try to take the best from him.
"Now it's easy to talk but Harry is going to remember last season, we were having some conversations, that he was not in the best moment. In terms of maturity, decision-making, more calm in some moments - you don't need 100 per cent speed in everything.
"It's the best moment of his career, definitely. But at the same time he's working very hard. The numbers are top, incredible."
Fulham: Leno, Diop, Andersen, Cuenca (Kevin 45), Castagne, Berge, Cairney (Lukic 73), Robinson (Sessegnon 73), Wilson (Traore 91), Smith Rowe (Reed 83), Jimenez
Unused substitutes: Kusi-Asare, Lecomte, Amissah, Ridgeon
Goals:
Jimenez 55 (TRADEMARK JIMENEZ!
Berge floats a cross into the box and the striker runs across Chalobah to power a header into the bottom right corner.
Sanchez got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out!)
Wilson 81 (FULHAM'S MAGIC MAN STRIKES AGAIN!
Smith Rowe's cross-cum-shot is parried by Sanchez and it comes to Wilson just inside the box.
He takes a lovely first touch to shift the ball onto his right before sending a low volley that finds the bottom left corner with a deflection.
He is in red-hot form! )
Yellow Card: Cuenca (f,45), Castagne (f,78), Jiménez (f,90)
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto (Acheampong 76), Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella, A Santos (Hato 28), Caicedo, Palmer (J Pedro 75), Fernandez (James 65), Neto, Delap
Unused substitutes: Gittens, Jorgensen, Fofana, Estevao, Garnacho
Goals:
Delap 72 (DELAP EQUALISES FOR THE 10 MEN!
Neto's corner is flicked on at the near post by Robinson, who sends the ball against his own post and it drops for Delap to tap in.
That's his first Premier League goal for Chelsea.
Game on!)
Yellow Card: Fernandez (dis,24), Palmer (dis,24), Tosin (dis,24),
Red Card: Cucurella (f,last man,22),
Referee:
Peter Bankes (Lancashire)
Attendance:26,990
Fulham are next in action in the FA Cup and welcome Middlesbrough on Saturday 10th January at 15.00.