Chelsea 2-0 Fulham: VAR Controversy Overshadows Derby Win at the Bridge

Chelsea secured their second win of the season with a 2–0 victory over West London rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge, though the match was overshadowed by controversy.

Enzo Maresca named an unchanged side following last week’s victory against West Ham, while Marco Silva made one alteration, bringing in Rodrigo Muniz for Raúl Jiménez.

The Blues suffered an early setback when striker Liam Delap limped off with a hamstring injury in the 14th minute. With Nicolas Jackson having just agreed a loan move to Bayern Munich, Maresca will be concerned about his options up front.

Fulham started brightly, and the first flashpoint came in the 21st minute.

Teenager Josh King finished confidently after being played through, only for VAR to rule the goal out. Replays showed Trevoh Chalobah had been trodden on in the build-up, but the decision divided opinion and left Marco Silva furious.

Chelsea eventually broke the deadlock in the ninth minute of first-half stoppage time another moment of controversy, as there were only eight minutes of added time initially awarded. Enzo Fernández’s corner was met by João Pedro, who powered home a header. That marked Chelsea’s fourth goal from a corner in their last two matches.

VAR was again at the centre of attention just five minutes into the second half. After a lengthy four-minute review, Chelsea were awarded a penalty when Chalobah’s cross struck Ryan Sessegnon’s arm. Fulham argued the ball had also brushed João Pedro’s arm in the build-up, but their protests were ignored. Fernández calmly converted from the spot to double Chelsea’s lead.

Fulham had chances to respond the best of which was denied by a Pedro goalline clearance but the earlier decisions seemed to sap their momentum. Chelsea controlled possession in the closing stages and comfortably saw the game out.

Although not a spectacle for neutrals or either set of supporters, the match once again thrust VAR into the spotlight. Across both halves, 16 minutes of stoppage time were added, largely due to lengthy deliberations. With so much time taken, fans are left questioning whether the final decisions truly addressed “clear and obvious” errors.

Managers Post-Match Reaction

Marco Silva voiced his frustrations over the officiating decisions: “To see what happened with our football club the last two games is very difficult to understand… I don’t want to say anymore because I’ll be punished.”

Meanwhile, Enzo Maresca reflected on Chelsea’s mixed performance: “The first half today was not good enough… I think in the second half we completely dominated the game.”

Silva will feel aggrieved, yet he can take encouragement from Fulham’s overall performance. His side remains winless, but their displays across the first three games suggest a victory is not far away.

Maresca, meanwhile, will be pleased with the result—if not the performance. Chelsea lacked creativity and urgency at times and will hope Cole Palmer returns fully fit after the international break. Still, two wins and a draw leave the Blues in a strong position heading into September.

Line-Ups

Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Estevão (Gittens, 68’), Pedro, Neto (James, 81’); Delap (George, 14’), George (Santos, 81’)

Fulham: Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon (Robinson, 67’); Lukic, Berge; Castagne (Wilson, 60’), King (Smith Rowe, 67’), Iwobi (Traoré, 84’); Muniz (Jiménez, 59’)