21-year-old midfielder Cole Palmer's successful penalty kick helped Chelsea beat Fulham 1-0 in round 21 of the Premier League.
This was Chelsea's fourth consecutive home win in all competitions, helping them escape their familiar 10th place. Mauricio Pochettino's team surpassed Newcastle and Man Utd to climb to eighth with 31 points, nine points behind the top four.
Palmer scored a penalty in first-half stoppage time. Photo: Reuters
Chelsea dominated the majority of the game. They had 57% possession and attacked relentlessly. But as usual, the Stamford Bridge team had problems finishing. They had 17 shots but only three of them were on target. Chelsea hit the post twice.
Unable to widen the gap, Pochettino's team repeatedly made the home fans scream. In fact, despite being at a disadvantage, Fulham launched 14 shots and hit the target more than Chelsea (four times). If it weren't for the excellence of goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who made a total of four saves, the home team would have been disappointed.
Entering the game with their usual exciting attacking style, Chelsea repeatedly brought the ball into Fulham's penalty area and created dangerous spaces. However, the shots from Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher and Armando Broja were all inaccurate. On the contrary, Fulham's rare attack in the 27th minute created the best chance of the first half. Unfortunately for the visitors, Harry Wilson's close-range shot was blocked by Petrovic.
The dispute between Moise Caicedo and Andreas Pereira. Photo: Reuters
The turning point of the match came in stoppage time. Raheem Sterling was brought down by Issa Diop in the box. Palmer fooled Bernd Leno from the penalty spot to put the hosts ahead. After scoring, he crossed his arms over his shoulders and celebrated with his teammates. It was Palmer's ninth goal in the Premier League this season, five of which have come from penalties. After moving from Manchester City in the final minutes of the summer transfer window, the 21-year-old midfielder quickly established himself as Chelsea's most dangerous attacker.
Early in the second half, the Stamford Bridge crowd roared as Sterling headed a cross from Fernandez against the post. However, the former Man City player was offside in this situation. With the game in good shape, Pochettino suddenly took Broja off the field and pushed Palmer up to play as a false 9. This tactic reduced Chelsea's ability to attack, causing them to lose control of the game for the rest of the time.
Fernandez's disastrous slip in the 73rd minute almost cost the home side. However, Petrovic flew brilliantly to block Raul Jimenez's low shot. In the 83rd minute, it was the Chelsea player's turn to hold his head when Gallagher's skillful volley hit the post.
Sterling headed against the post early in the second half. Photo: Reuters
One of the more exciting moments at Stamford Bridge was when defender Ben Chilwell was substituted. The England international had been out for four months through injury. He was moved up to winger and made some dangerous runs. The left-back position for Chelsea was retained by Levi Colwill, who was outstanding in the match.
The win is a good start for Chelsea ahead of the second leg of their League Cup semi-final against Middlesbrough on January 23. They lost 0-1 away in the first leg. Chelsea will then host Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Fulham remain in 13th place in the Premier League table.
Quang Huy
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