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That’s it from me, thanks for reading and for your emails. Until next time!
Jacob Steinberg’s report is live
Armando Broja speaks!
It’s a massive boost for us. We’re a whole new team this season and it’s showing that we’re all gelling as a team. It’s amazing.
As a striker, you always want to score. It’s an unbelievable feeling to score in the derby. When you win games, it brings confidence.
Chelsea are on a roll! Victory over Brighton last week in the League Cup and now a win over their nearest rivals! What next? Well, it’s Burnley away on Sunday, if you’re wondering.
Chelsea were well worth their win.
Full-time: Fulham 0-2 Chelsea
Two first-half goals in two minutes decide the game.
Updated at 17.06 EDT
90+5 min: In the last minute, Willian and Caicedo collide, just outside of Chelsea’s box. It’s the Ecuadorian who has come off the worst, and that could be yet another injury blow for Chelsea. He is coming off, limping to the dugout. It looks like a painful blow, rather than a lasting injury.
Two more late changes, then. Madueke on for Caiceido and also a Chelsea debut for Matos, who comes on for Enzo.
90+4 min: “No skin in this game and sorry for more VARAGE,” apologies Paul Griffin. “But this is three years old, and perfectly predicted why VAR would work for cricket, but not football.”
I’m at the Olympic Stadium and there is a break for a VAR check. It’s going on for a while, so I thought I’d take the opportunity to jot down a few thoughts about VAR. pic.twitter.com/2ybIULpMkq
— Daisy Christodoulou (@daisychristo) February 1, 2020
90+2 min: Fulham can’t get out of their half. This is over.
90 min: Five minutes added on here. Chelsea look almost certain to take home the three points.
89 min: “Bounce in a minute, we’re going to bounce in a minuttttttte” threaten the Chelsea fans in the away end, before breaking into a half-arsed Poznan bop.
Not quite as good as their other chant this evening: “There’s only one team in Fulham”. Stamford Bridge is of course in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
87 min: Fulham look a little leggy.
85 min: Chelsea are managing this game well, although Sanchez picks a caution up for time-wasting, dallying over a goal kick. I should mention that Sterling also went into the book for a similar offence, kicking the ball away after the whistle had gone.
83 min: Willian tries his luck from distance, after bursting away from Enzo. The Brazilian has still got a turn of pace at 35, and his shot is not half bad either, but Sanchez moves to his left to save. No goal for Willian against his former club.
81 min: “More VAR ZZZs but bear with me!” emails Mark Cooper. “It’s baffling how sports like cricket, so mired in traditionalism, can have spearheaded technology interventions / innovations for over a decade while football is still struggling to remember what the ref said. No excuses. And why aren’t refs miked up like rugby union? It improved player behaviour and officials accountability in that sport overnight.”
79 min: A further change for the visitors: Palmer off for Ugochukwu. A good night for the former City man, who was recently booked.
77 min: A sitter for Lukic, but saved by Sanchez! Oooooooh, it should be 2-1, as Cairney brilliantly cuts Chelsea’s defence apart. Lukic didn’t have to break stride and only had to pass the ball into the corner from the six-yard box, but instead fires straight at Sanchez! A good save, I suppose, but Lukic should have give the Chelsea keeper no chance.
No luck for Lukic. Photograph: Javier García/Shutterstock
Updated at 16.44 EDT
75 min: Another Fulham change: Andreas Pereira off for Lukic.
73 min: I fancy Fulham to get at least a goal here. Chelsea are ceding possession and retreating.
70 min: “That’s a red, Vinicius just punched Silva in the back,” emails David Singleton. “How is that not a red? What is the [effing] point of VAR if it can’t get simple things correct? It has to go. Maybe send it over to UAE for a jaunt and it’ll come back fresh to get everything correct.”
I have to say I agree with you, David. Vinicius is very lucky to still be on the pitch. I’m astounded that VAR didn’t at least ask the referee to go and have a look.
68 min: A surprising lull in play, as both teams reassess their shape after those changes.
66 min: Tom Cairney, another unlikely captain, comes on for Fulham, replacing Reed. On his day, the former Blackburn man can create something out of nothing.
64 min: More injury woe for Chelsea: Broja is down, and looks like he’s going to have to be replaced. The striker limps off rather forlorn. He’s shown real vigour this evening. Let’s hope it’s a small tweak or just cramp. On comes Raheem Sterling, who has missed three days of training in the past week (apparently), but is apparently fit enough to play half an hour here.
Seems I missed that Andreas Pereira got a booking for dissent around the time of the Vinicius/Thiago Silva incident.
Updated at 16.30 EDT
62 min: Maatsen hits the post! Brilliant work from Broja and Gallagher culminates in a neat cut back to the penalty spot, where the Chelsea substitute is waiting. Maatsen sidefoots a first-time shot against Leno’s right post, but the ball falls kindly to Enzo. Brilliant save from Leno, who rushed out with Castagne to close the angle. A third Chelsea goal would surely end the contest. But the game remains alive.
Top notch keeping from Bernd Leno to deny Enzo Fernández. Photograph: Javier García/Shutterstock
Updated at 16.36 EDT
60 min: Better from Fulham, who are making real inroads down the right flank. Castagne crosses for Vinicius and the Brazilian heads over. He stole a yard on Disasi.
58 min: The derby is hotting up! Tackles fly in from both sides, and referee Tim Robinson is lenient to allow Reed and Gallagher off for what could easily have been bookings. Then, a bizarre incident: Vinicius appears to deliberately throw an arm into the back (and back of the head?) of Thiago Silva, who crumbles in a heap before looking up at his compatriot and opponent. Why did Vinicius do that? The Chelsea defender was going nowhere, and replays show that there seemed to be genuine intent. VAR are checking for a red card, but they let the Fulham striker off! That could easily have been a dismissal.
56 min: Chance for Iwobi! Robinson gets to the byline, crosses wonderfully to the back post but Iwobi miscues! His volley dribbles into Sanchez’s arms. The Chelsea keeper is yet to be tested tonight.
55 min: Yellow card for Palmer, who leaves one on Robinson.
54 min: Double change for Fulham: Jimenez off for Vinicius, and Iwobi on for Harry Wilson.
52 min: “This reaffirms how much we miss Mitrovic,” emails Richard Hirst. “Not just for his goals but for his ability to hold the ball up, knit things together and keep the opposition defenders occupied.”
I do feel for Jimenez. He’s been outnumbered and outwitted tonight. Thiago Silva remains a consumate defender at the age of 39.
49 min: Breaking news … £115m Moisés Caicedo is good at football. More news when we have it.
47 min: Chelsea again begin brightly! Cole Palmer floats a delicious cross in from the right and it’s an inch too high for Broja, who leaps but can’t keep it under the crossbar.
Peeeeeeep! And we’re off again in south-west London.
A change for Chelsea, and it’s not a good one as far as they are concerned. Mudryk, who finally looked like he had found his mojo, is replaced by Ian Maatsen. That’s likely due to an injury, which would be a shame for Pochettino. Maatsen was brilliant on loan at Burnley last season, but is naturally a left back, although can play in midfield.
Half-time reading:
Half-time: Fulham 0-2 Chelsea
The Blues are ahead in the derby through Mudryk’s first Premier League goal and a first league goal for Broja since October 2022.
“Good ‘alf son.” Photograph: John Walton/PA
Updated at 16.42 EDT
https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2023/oct/02/fulham-v-chelsea-premier-league-live-updates
