Fulham manager Marco Silva was very proud of his side’s first half performance at Stamford Bridge, but felt the second 45 did not match those levels.
Officiating decisions did not help the Fulham cause, on an afternoon that had the entire football community talking.
“Outstanding first half from ourselves,” Silva said. “Very, very good one. We dominated all the first half. We were clearly the best team on the pitch.
“Really pleased the way we matched, and were better than, Chelsea in all the moments of that first half. Brave on the ball and made life very difficult for Chelsea to press us high, the way we knew that they were going to come.
“We always found the spare player, most of the times that was Alex Iwobi, and we built many good moments in our offensive organisation. Off the ball, brave, finding the right moments to press them high or to be more compact.
“And was a very good first half that didn't end in the way we wanted, with the goal conceded. Second half, we didn't perform at the same level.
“Of course, players, they are human beings and have emotions, even if I told them at half-time to try to be as balanced and have emotional control, to focus just on our job to play football, to try to be better in the opposition side.
“[But it’s] very difficult after the second decision – completely unbelievable for that penalty – for them to keep the same principles that we want to keep. But my job is to try to convince them that we have to do it.
“We performed so well first half, we should keep the same type of performance, even if all the circumstances come against us and make the life difficult for ourselves.
“Very proud. The first half, very, very proud, and that has to be our image, and we have to move on.”
Naturally, the VAR decisions were journalists’ main interest in the post-match press conference.
Josh King thought he’d scored a beautiful maiden goal in senior football, only for referee Rob Jones to disallow it because of a “careless challenge” from Rodrigo Muniz.
Chelsea then took the lead as the clock approached a 10th minute of first half stoppage time, before they were awarded a penalty in spite of a number of incidents which go our way on another day.
“Unbelievable decision, unbelievable,” Silva said of King’s disallowed effort. “But I think throughout the game, you have many decisions to talk about.
“Eight minutes of extra-time [were added], and I accept [that], because if it's for me, for Fulham, I want to see if I could get the corner in the eight minutes of extra-time. And when the officials gave eight minutes, I would like to have the chance to have that corner.
“But after the second corner, it’s already nine minutes of extra-time. The referee didn't stop the game. I don't understand, the game should be stopped after the first corner and not give the chance for Chelsea to have the second corner.
“Yes, we should defend better, it’s my job to work with my players, but the game should be stopped in that moment.
“And after, of course, the penalty. Yes, it’s handball from [Ryan] Sess, definitely it’s handball, but before that moment, you can find easily two, three fouls for ourselves.
“Our players went to the screen with the referee, they should not, but they went there to the screen, and they were laughing because they were seeing the same images as the referee.
“Stamp on Alex Iwobi, handball from Joao Pedro, and the pushing on Joachim [Andersen], and nothing comes from the VAR.
“They saw the penalty after three moments where at least they have to see two fouls for us.
And it’s the same VAR that in the first half found something unbelievable like almost a stamp from Rodrigo, and the same people didn't see a stamp on Alex Iwobi in that penalty.
“What can I tell you? I cannot tell you nothing more, because I don't understand the direction that it’s going.”