Rodrigo Muniz’s 95th-minute strike stunned Stamford Bridge as Chelsea fell to a dramatic 2-1 Boxing Day defeat against Fulham, missing an opportunity to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool.
The Blues, under Enzo Maresca, have now dropped points in consecutive matches against teams outside the traditional 'big six.' They sit four points adrift of Liverpool, who hold two games in hand.
Marco Silva's Fulham frustrated Chelsea with a defensive back-five setup, but it took only 16 minutes for Cole Palmer to break the deadlock. Picking up the ball in Fulham’s half, Palmer danced past two defenders and curled a shot into the near post, with the ball nutmegging Issa Diop on its way in.
Fulham nearly equalized shortly after when Calvin Bassey embarked on a surging run from defense into Chelsea’s box but squandered the chance with a tame finish, easily saved by Robert Sanchez. Chelsea had opportunities to extend their lead, notably through Marc Cucurella’s close-range header, which Bernd Leno acrobatically tipped away.
In the second half, Chelsea continued to press. Enzo Fernandez’s long-range strike was superbly clawed out by Leno, and Levi Colwill thought he’d doubled the lead, only for his bundled effort from a corner to be ruled offside.
As the match progressed, Fulham began to assert themselves. Sanchez made a crucial stop to deny Antonee Robinson, but the visitors eventually found their equalizer with just under 10 minutes to play. Alex Iwobi slipped a pass to Robinson, whose cross was flicked back by Timothy Castagne, allowing Harry Wilson to stab the ball home.
Chelsea pressed for a late winner, but Leno produced a heroic save to deny Jadon Sancho inside the box. In injury time, Fulham struck the decisive blow on the counterattack. Sasa Lukic sprinted down the right and delivered a pinpoint cross for Rodrigo Muniz, who slammed the ball into the net, sending the Fulham fans into delirium and leaving Chelsea stunned.
Post a Comment
0Comments