Fulham 2–1 Chelsea: Wilson Strike Seals Derby Win at Craven Cottage

Fulham secured a deserved 2–1 victory over Chelsea at Craven Cottage in a fiercely contested West London derby, capitalising on a dominant first-half display and a late winner from Harry Wilson to condemn the visitors to another frustrating defeat.

Chelsea lined up in a 4-2-3-1, with Robert Sánchez in goal behind a back four of Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Marc Cucurella. Moisés Caicedo partnered Andrey Santos at the base of midfield, while Cole Palmer, captain Enzo Fernández and Pedro Neto supported Liam Delap in attack.

Fulham, by contrast, named a settled and physical XI. Bernd Leno started in goal behind Issa Diop, Joachim Andersen, Jorge Cuenca and Timothy Castagne. Sander Berge and Tom Cairney anchored midfield, with Antonee Robinson and Harry Wilson providing width, while Emile Smith Rowe operated behind Raúl Jiménez.

Chelsea’s task was made significantly harder when Cucurella was shown a red card early on, leaving the Blues to play the majority of the match with ten men.

Fulham immediately asserted control, dominating possession and looking the more cohesive side throughout the opening period. Their full-backs were key to that dominance, repeatedly overlapping and delivering dangerous balls into the Chelsea box.

The visitors were dealt another blow when Santos was forced off injured and replaced by Jorrel Hato, further disrupting Chelsea’s structure. Despite sustained pressure, Chelsea showed brief attacking promise. Delap impressed with his hold-up play, linking effectively with Palmer and Neto, while Fulham’s best first-half chance fell to Smith Rowe, who fired narrowly over the bar.

Fulham thought they had taken the lead deep into first-half stoppage time when Wilson finished smartly, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside. The warning signs, however, were unmistakable.

The breakthrough eventually arrived when Jiménez powered home a diving header, a goal that reflected Fulham’s control and attacking intent.

Chelsea struggled to retain possession or relieve pressure, but the introduction of Reece James altered the rhythm of the contest. With James on the pitch, Chelsea improved in possession and began to ask more questions in the second half.

That pressure told in the 71st minute. A Chelsea corner was flicked on at the near post, struck the woodwork and fell perfectly for Delap, who reacted quickest to slot home and restore parity. It was a moment of efficiency in a match where Chelsea had largely been second best.

Parity did not last long. With fifteen minutes remaining, Chelsea failed to clear their lines, allowing Fulham to recycle possession. The ball eventually fell to Wilson, who made no mistake this time, firing home to restore Fulham’s lead and crown an impressive individual performance.

Despite a late push from Chelsea, Fulham saw out the closing stages with composure, securing three points that fully reflected their superiority. For Chelsea, the result raises further questions after another match shaped by indiscipline, missed opportunities, and an inability to maintain control under pressure.