Chelsea beat Fulham 1-0 to move up to eighth in Premier League | OneFootball

Chelsea extended their Premier League win streak to three games with a 1-0 win over Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. Marco Silva’s men had their chances to take the scalp of Mauricio Pochettino’s west Londoners, but it was to no avail. Their win against their local rivals saw them leapfrog Manchester United and Newcastle United into eighth spot with 31 points to their name, though the aforementioned duo both have a game in hand on the Blues.

As expected, 21-year-old Cole Palmer was the home side’s bright spark throughout and created a number of chances with his acute passing, dazzling dribbling and, most importantly, emphatic finish from the spot. Pochettino’s side were on top from the off, though they had to wait until the game was deep into first-half stoppage time to gain the golden chance to take the lead.

Fulham defender Issa Diop clipped the feet of Raheem Sterling after the Englishman cut inside to evade the pressure from the Frenchman and Co. Up stepped Palmer, who drilled his effort from 12 yards into the back of the net. The Manchester-born ace remained composed to notch his ninth goal of the 23/24 Premier League campaign - one that he has been thoroughly enjoying since his £40 million summer switch from perennial winners Manchester City.

The comfort of a two-goal cushion somehow evaded the five-time Premier League champions after a flurry of good chances, but Palmer's effort was enough to seal all three points in a must-win battle against the Craven Cottage outfit - one that took their Premier League home game record to four wins on the bounce, the first time they have done that since July 2020.

Not only that, but Pochettino's first season at the helm has been boosted tenfold by the return of Ben Chilwell. The Englishman replaced Sterling in the 77th minute to mark his return to the fold after spending a four-month period on the sidelines via a hamstring injury. Taking over the responsibilities as Blues captain, the 27-year-old will certainly be a staple part of Pochettino's plan for the rest of the current campaign.

Malo Gusto fortunate to avoid red card

The Frenchman collided with Willian in the 38th minute

However, Chelsea were - arguably - fortunate not to be down to 10 men. Defender Malo Gusto only saw yellow for a challenge on Willian, with the Frenchman's studs catching his opponent. VAR had a brief look at the incident, but opted against recommending a red card for the defender. And while Pochettino and his men will bask in the sunlight of another win for the time being, those of a Fulham persuasion may feel aggrieved that Gusto managed to avoid receiving his marching orders in the 38th minute.

The Blues full-back launched into a meaty challenge on ex-Chelsea star Willian in the first half of the affair as the Brazilian was left wrenching in agony on the floor. Fulham ace Tom Cairney was unable to barge the Frenchman off the ball, but Willian ensured to back up his teammate in his side’s attempt to regain possession with seven minutes of normal time left on the clock until the interval.

With a loose ball bouncing in front of both him and Willian, the 20-year-old’s desperate bid to retain possession of the ball saw his studs sink into his Fulham counterpart’s shin. As alluded to, the incident was checked by the VAR team and deemed legal, much to the disbelief of Fulham's travelling support and boss Silva.

Marco Silva not pleased with Gusto decision

Silva: 'It is a clear red card for me'

Fulham chief Silva spoke to TNT Sports after the match and gave his feelings about Anthony Taylor's decision to not send Gusto off. Claiming that it was a 'clear' decision that the officials, incorrectly, didn't give, the 46-year-old bemoaned the inconsistency of decisions and referenced the importance of getting it right in England's top division.

When quizzed whether he had been given his chance to discuss the challenge with the officials, he claimed that he couldn't disclose what the fourth official told him during the all-London encounter but did claim that he held the same opinion as the Portuguese boss. Aggrieved at the decision, Silva insisted that it was 'difficult' to take, thanks to it having a huge impact on the entirety of the game as the match was balanced beforehand.

The Blues welcome Middlesbrough to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday 23 January as they look to overthrow Michael Carrick's side after falling to a 1-0 defeat in their first leg Carabao Cup semi-final before meeting with high-flying Aston Villa on Friday 26 January as they look to continue to retain their imperious home form in the league. Elsewhere, Fulham have two cup fixtures to look forward to at the back end of this month, with them hosting Liverpool in the Carabao Cup and Newcastle United in the FA Cup in the space of three days between Wednesday 24 January and Saturday 27 January.