Chelsea snatch crucial win against Fulham to dream of Champions League spot | OneFootball

In a very important comeback for the rest of the season, Chelsea prevented a likely defeat to Fulham in the second half and looked to turn things around at home to remain firmly in the fight for a place in the next UEFA Champions League via the Premier League.

Blues' task had proved very difficult early on when Andreas Pereira scored a goal disallowed for offside. However, the Cottagers kept up the pace with an imposing attacking style until the opening 20 minutes, when Reece James lost possession in midfield, allowing Alex Iwobi to shoot into the corner for Fulham's first shot on target.

Chlesea left the field after the end of the first half to boos from their own fans at Stamford Bridge, an unusual scene for one of the biggest teams in European soccer. Although the attacking intensity improved in the second half, it took Enzo Maresca's side a long time to turn their dominance into goals.

The equalizer didn't come until the 83rd minute, when Tyrique George picked up a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area and curled a precise shot into the corner, leaving Bernd Leno with no chance of a save. And finally, the unlikely victory came in stoppage time with a spectacular goal from Pedro Neto, who received Enzo Fernández's ball in the penalty area and turned to hit a shot into the corner.

Manchester City to rival Chelsea for place in next Champions League

Everton FC v Manchester City FC - Premier League | Carl Recine/GettyImages

Chelsea's win was all the more special considering that Manchester City beat Everton 2-0 at Goodison Park with goals from Nico O'Really and Mateo Kovacic, maintaining their best form this season with positive results and convincing performances. Pep Guardiola's team showed that they are physically and mentally strong enough to fight until the end for one of the five UEFA Champions League places, leaving a warning sign for Chelsea.