In a fiercely contested West London derby at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea emerged victorious with a narrow 1-0 win over neighbours Fulham in Saturday's Premier League clash. The match was decided by a single moment of composure from the spot by Chelsea's rising star.
Penalty Decides Tense West London Derby
The breakthrough came in first-half stoppage time when Chelsea were awarded a penalty after Fulham's Issa Diop brought down Raheem Sterling in the box. The responsibility fell to Cole Palmer, who calmly sent Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno the wrong way, slotting home his fifth Premier League goal of the season.
Fulham's Frustrating Afternoon
Marco Silva's Fulham struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against a resolute Chelsea defence. The visitors' best chance fell to Raúl Jiménez, whose effort was comfortably saved by Đorđe Petrović in the Chelsea goal. Despite showing plenty of endeavour, the Cottagers lacked the cutting edge needed to break down Chelsea's back line.
Chelsea's Defensive Resilience
Mauricio Pochettino will be particularly pleased with his team's defensive solidity, having kept back-to-back Premier League clean sheets for the first time this season. Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi formed a formidable partnership at centre-back, effectively neutralising Fulham's attacking threats throughout the match.
What This Result Means
The victory sees Chelsea climb to eighth in the Premier League table, level on points with seventh-placed Brighton. For Fulham, the defeat leaves them in thirteenth position, with manager Marco Silva facing questions about his team's away form and lack of goalscoring potency on the road.
Both teams now turn their attention to the EFL Cup semi-finals, with Chelsea facing Middlesbrough and Fulham taking on Liverpool, as the Premier League takes a brief pause for the winter break.
