Excerpt: Chelsea overcame Fulham 2-0, though a VAR controversy stole the spotlight during a fiercely contested West London derby.
Chelsea secured a 2-0 win over Fulham at Stamford Bridge in a West London derby overshadowed by VAR controversy.
The match turned contentious midway through the first half when 18-year-old Josh King thought he had scored his first league goal, only for the effort to be ruled out following a VAR review. Rodrigo Muniz was penalised for a challenge on Trevoh Chalobah, which led to King’s strike being disallowed, angering Fulham manager Marco Silva and fans.
Chelsea went ahead in first-half stoppage time when Joao Pedro met Enzo Fernandez’s corner with a precise header. Early in the second half, Fulham conceded a penalty after Ryan Sessegnon was judged to have handled the ball, allowing Fernandez to double the lead.
Fulham had earlier come close through Joachim Andersen and Alex Iwobi, while Chelsea threatened when Liam Delap’s shot was blocked. Delap’s involvement ended early due to a hamstring injury. Robert Sanchez and Moises Caicedo made key interventions to keep Fulham in the game before Chelsea took control.
The result maintained Chelsea’s strong start to the Premier League season, though Fulham left Stamford Bridge feeling aggrieved by the decisions that shaped the match.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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