PREMIER LEAGUE
London, Aug 30: Chelsea claimed a 2-0 win over Fulham in the west London derby at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but the result was overshadowed by refereeing controversy that left Fulham fuming.
Summer signing Joao Pedro continued his fine run of form, heading in the opener on the stroke of half-time to net his fifth goal in as many starts since arriving from Brighton in a £55m deal. Enzo Fernandez later converted from the penalty spot to seal the points for the Blues.
The turning point came in the 21st minute when Fulham midfielder Josh King thought he had given his side the lead, only for the effort to be ruled out after VAR intervention.
Rodrigo Muniz was adjudged to have fouled Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up, though replays showed minimal contact.
Referee Robert Jones, after consulting the pitchside monitor, confirmed the decision, drawing criticism from pundits and outrage from Fulham manager Marco Silva.
Fulham, who had dominated much of the first half, were further punished when Pedro rose highest to meet Fernandez’s corner with the final action before the interval.
Fernandez then doubled Chelsea’s lead midway through the second half after Ryan Sessegnon was penalised for handball, another marginal call that went against the visitors.
While Chelsea celebrated a morale-boosting victory heading into the international break, there was concern for striker Liam Delap, who limped off with a hamstring injury that could sideline him for up to two months.
With Cole Palmer already out injured and Christopher Nkunku departing for AC Milan, manager Enzo Maresca was forced to field academy talent Tyrique George in attack for much of the game.
Despite their frustrations, Chelsea will take heart from Pedro’s seamless adaptation to life in west London.
The 22-year-old Brazilian has already matched a feat last achieved by Tammy Abraham in 2019, becoming the first Chelsea player to score five goals in his opening five starts. For Fulham, however, the sense of injustice lingered long after the final whistle. Silva avoided publicly criticising the officials but his side remain without a win after three league outings, left to wonder how different the derby might have been had King’s early strike stood. (Reuters)
