Evening Standard
·26 December 2024
Evening Standard
·26 December 2024
Chelsea miss chance to close the gap to Liverpool to just one point for at least a few hours
Chelsea missed the chance to close the gap at the top of the Premier League table after being beaten at home by Fulham in the west London derby. Cole Palmer broke the deadlock with a brilliant individual strike in the first-half but the Blues failed to build on the goal.
Marc Cucurella should have doubled the lead before the break but planted his header straight at Bernd Leno whilst the Fulham goalkeeper produced a magnificent save to keep out Enzo Fernandez’s shot right at the beginning of the second half and moments later Levi Colwill had a goal, correctly, ruled out for offside.
That have the visitors confidence and when the equaliser did arrive, it was no more than they deserved as Harry Wilson managed to divert the ball into the net. And with seconds remaining on the clock, another substitute in Rodrigo Muniz made an impact as he kept calm to complete the turnaround and secure Fulham’s first win at Stamford Bridge since 1979. The result means the Blues remain four points behind Liverpool.