Fulham 2-3 Chelsea: result and report

Report

Chelsea won 3-2 at Fulham, the away win most expected before kick-off, and the chances suggest they deserved it. Fulham had more of the ball, though Chelsea made the better openings.

How the goals came

Chelsea scored in the first minute when Cole Palmer set up João Pedro, though Fulham were level on 23 minutes. Josh King finished after Timothy Castagne's assist.

Morgan Rogers restored Chelsea's lead on 41 minutes from Maxence Lacroix's pass. Palmer made it 3-1 four minutes after the break, with João Pedro returning the favour. Gonzalo García pulled one back on 54 minutes, so Fulham spent more than half an hour within a goal. The score still did not change again.

Chelsea: less of the ball, better chances

Chelsea won despite having only 38% of possession. They led on xG, 1.92 to 1.51. They also created four big chances to Fulham's two and made 16 key passes to Fulham's 10. That is a side doing more with less, because the quality of their openings was higher.

Palmer was the main reason. He scored one and set up another, which made him the standout player on the night.

Fulham: plenty of the ball, not enough edge

This was still no one-sided game. Fulham had 62% of possession and 62 dangerous attacks to Chelsea's 41. They also matched Chelsea with six shots on target.

The difference was what that possession produced. Chelsea sustained the higher average pressure across the match, while Fulham's spells of territory brought fewer big chances. That suggests much of Fulham's ball came without the threat to match it.