970x125
Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this feature66 min On TNT Sports, Joe Cole says this game has been a “bad advert for VAR and modern football in general”.Share65 min A snappy move from Chelsea ends with Joao Pedro’s deflected shot bouncing through to the keeper Leno.Share64 min Chelsea are having their best spell of the match, passing the ball around with a soupcon of swagger.ShareChance for Joao Pedro62 min Fulham’s heads are starting to go. Joao Pedro runs onto Chalobah’s long pass and tries to go round Bernd Leno, who dives at his feet to push the ball away. Good save.Share60 min: Double substitution for Fulham Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson replace Rodrigo Muniz and Timothy Castagne.ShareGood save by Leno58 min Chelsea lead 2-0 almost by accident. Estevao also makes it three, zipping across Bassey before reversing a low shot that is well saved to his left by Leno.ShareGOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Fulham (Enzo 56 pen)Enzo Fernandez pings it straight down the middle. Leno got a touch with a trailing leg but couldn’t keep it out. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty ImagesShareUpdated at 13.58 BST55 min The Joao Pedro handball is deemed irrelevant because Tete kicked the ball against him. I’d like to see the challenge by Caicedo on Iwobi because he seemed to follow through onto Iwobi’s foot. The actual handball decision against Sessegnon, under the current interpretation of the law, was fair enough.ShareUpdated at 13.52 BSTPenalty to Chelsea54 min This is fun, isn’t it.Share53 min The referee is still looking at the monitor.ShareVAR check (2) The ball also hit the outstretched hand of Joao Pedro earlier in the move, but that’s deemed irrelevant. Caicedo won the ball off Iwobi and followed through onto his foot, albeit not with the same force as Muniz on Chalobah in the first half. I have no idea any more.ShareVAR check Sessegnon turned his back on Chalobah’s cross, with his arm stretching out in the process. The referee is going to the monitor. Good lord. The other issue is whether Caicedo fouled Iwobi by standing on his foot a moment before Chalobah’s cross.ShareUpdated at 13.52 BST50 min Chelsea appeal for handball, and a penalty, when Chalobah’s cross hits the outstretched arm of Sessegnon. This might be given, and if it is Marco Silva could explode.ShareUpdated at 13.47 BST48 min Castagne’s shot is blocked by Cucurella, then Muniz heads wide from about 15 yards. A very difficult chance.Share46 min Peep peep! Fulham begin the second half.ShareHalf time: Chelsea 1-0 FulhamAs the players all walk down the tunnel, Marco Silva waits for the referee Rob Jones. He tells Silva to bugger off in the same direction, an instruction that is reluctantly followed.ShareUpdated at 13.28 BSTGOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Fulham (Joao Pedro 45+9)Chelsea have scored in the ninth of eight added minutes and Marco Silva is raging. It was another superb corner from Enzo, flipped into the six-yard box from the left. Joao Pedro pulled away from the keeper Leno, got in front of Bassey and steered a good header into the corner. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Photograph: David Cliff/EPAShareUpdated at 13.34 BST45+9 min Chalobah’s long-range shot deflects behind. The resulting corner leads to a scramble and eventually a chance for George, whose close-range shot is well blocked by Leno.ShareGreat defending by Caicedo45+5 min King, who has been the best attacker on the pitch, makes a good run into the area and screws the ball back towards the onrushing Castagne. His shot on the run is deflected wide by Caicedo, who is embraced by the keeper Sanchez.Share45+2 min Gusto, facing his own goal, makes a vital challenge to stop King having a clear shot. King was waiting for the ball to drop and that allowed Gusto to stretch and poke it away.Joshua King of Fulham. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty ImagesShareUpdated at 13.24 BST45 min Estevao rolls Sessegnon, who thought he was fouled, then scoots past Bassey and drives a low cross that is cleared.There will be eight minutes of added time. Chelsea are starting to apply a bit of pressure.Share43 min Enzo Fernandez, on the left, clips a beautiful, Dennis Wise-style corner into the six-yard box. The ball hits the back of Andersen, ricochets against Tosin (I think) and loops onto the roof of the net.ShareUpdated at 13.15 BST42 min Fulham continue to frustrate Chelsea with their defensive excellence. Aside from one particular incident, Marco Silva will be thrilled with how the first half has gone.Share38 min Caicedo is booked for tripping the impressive King. The last few minutes have been very stop-start.Share36 min Sarcastic cheers from the away fans when the referee gives a foul to Fulham for a challenge on Muniz.Share35 min Enzo Fernandez sprays a crossfield pass straight out of play. Chelsea haven’t been great so far.Share30 min Sanchez makes a smart point-blank save from Muniz. It wouldn’t have counted as Muniz was offside from Sessegnon’s cross, but it’s another demonstration of Fulham’s threat. So far they’ve been the better team.Share26 min King, who has had the happiest moment of his young life erased, has a shot from 20 yards saved by Sanchez.The consensus from the TNT Sports commentary team is that it wasn’t a foul by Muniz, never mind a clear and obvious error.ShareNO GOAL! Chelsea 0-0 FulhamYep, Muniz has been penalised for a “careless” challenge on Chalobah. Poor old Marco Silva is waving his hands in disgust. Photograph: Hannah McKay/ReutersShareUpdated at 12.59 BST24 min: The referee is going to the monitor. Muniz turned Chalobah with a roulette, then accidentally stood on Chalobah’s foot in his follow through. Muniz was challenged by Cucurella, with the ball breaking for Berge, who then put King through on goal. Fulham aren’t having much luck with VAR right now.Trevoh Chalobah reacts after being fouled by Rodrigo Muniz. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images/ReutersShareUpdated at 13.00 BSTIt’s his first goal for Fulham, not that you’d know it from such a calm finish. It came on the break, with Berge slipping an early ball through to King. He ran from the halfway line into the Chelsea area, turned back inside Tosin and drove the ball past Sanchez.Hang on, there’s a VAR check.ShareUpdated at 12.56 BSTGOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Fulham (King 21)A beautifully taken goal from the teenager Josh King gives Fulham the lead!Share19 min A good spell of Fulham attacking ends with Iwobi shooting wide from distance. They’re causing Chelsea problems with what is effectively a diamond midfield: Berge, then Lukic and Iwobi, then King behind Muniz.Alex Iwobi of Fulham Photograph: David Cliff/EPAShareUpdated at 12.51 BST15 min George has gone straight up front to replace Delap.Share14 min: Chelsea substitution Tyrique George replaces Liam Delap, who walks straight down the tunnel. The fact he can walk freely hopefully means it’s a strain rather than a tear.Share13 min More injury problems for Chelsea. Liam Delap is down with a hamstring strain; he chased a ball forward and then pulled up suddenly. Photograph: David Cliff/EPAShareUpdated at 12.50 BST10 min Both teams have started brightly. Fulham may be playing a back five but that shouldn’t be mistaken for a parking of the bus.Share8 min The camera cuts to Chelsea’s new signing Alejandro Garnacho, who is farting around on his phone. Watch the game man!ShareUpdated at 12.39 BST7 min: Chance for Fulham Andersen rumbles forward to the edge of the area, plays a one-two with Castagne and flashes a shot well wide with his left foot. Nice attack, not a great finish.Share6 min Cucurella’s cutback from the byline finds Delap, who smashes a shot that is well blocked by Berge on the six-yard line.Share5 min Fulham try to play out from the back and lose the ball. Joao Pedro rakes a left-foot drive from 25 yards that is held to his left by Leno.Share2 min Fulham have started with a back three/five, so this is their revised line-up.Fulham (5-3-1-1) Leno; Castagne, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Lukic, Berge, Iwobi; King; Muniz.Share1 min Peep peep! Chelsea kick off from right to left as we watch.ShareA reminder of the teamsChelsea (4-2-3-1) Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Estevao, Joao Pedro, Neto; Delap.Subs: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Fofana, James, Hato, Essugo, Andrey Santos, George, Gittens.Fulham (possible 4-2-3-1) Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Lukic, Berge; Castagne, King, Iwobi; Muniz.Subs: Lecomte, Cuenca, Robinson, Reed, Cairney, Wilson, Adama, Smith Rowe, Raul.Referee Rob Jones.ShareMarco Silva’s pre-match thoughts
We are ready for a very, very tough game. We had a good performance last Sunday and we did the job with eight changes in midweek.
We have our plan – it’s not for us to talk about that now, I’d prefer for us to express that on the field. We know what we want from the game.
ShareAlejandro Garnacho, who is in the process of moving from Manchester United to Chelsea, is also at Stamford Bridge today.Alejandro Garnacho at Stamford Bridge. Photograph: Adam Davy/PAShareUpdated at 12.33 BSTEnzo Maresca’s pre-match thoughts
It’s a big game, a derby. We know how difficult a game it is from last season [when Fulham won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge] so hopefully we will be ready. We want to finish with a good feeling before the international break.
ShareNicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku have left Chelsea for Munich and Milan respectively. Jacob Steinberg has more.ShareTeam newsBoth teams are unchanged from last weekend’s Premier League games. How convenient.Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Estevao, Joao Pedro, Neto; Delap.Subs: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Fofana, James, Hato, Essugo, Andrey Santos, George, Gittens.Fulham (possible 4-2-3-1) Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Lukic, Berge; Castagne, King, Iwobi; Muniz.Subs: Lecomte, Cuenca, Robinson, Reed, Cairney, Wilson, Adama, Smith Rowe, Raul.Referee Rob JonesShareUpdated at 12.16 BSTPreambleHello and welcome to live coverage of the west London derby at Stamford Bridge. Both teams have had decent starts to the season. Chelsea were held by Crystal Palace and thrashed West Ham; Fulham came from behind to draw with Brighton and Manchester United.It’s already been a busy day for Chelsea, who have loaned/sold Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich. You can read about that on our matchday live blog. This blog, this thing here, is all about the on-field action.Kick off is at 12.30pm and we’ll have all the team news shortly.ShareUpdated at 11.22 BST
970x125
970x125
