Fulham 2 Chelsea 1: Vinicius winner and debutant Joao Felix’s red card down Blues as they suffer worst run in 12 YEARS
JUST how bad can it possibly get for Graham Potter?
A debut red card for his shiny new signing Joao Felix, Chelsea’s first defeat by Fulham in 17 years and now just one win in nine Premier League games – their worst run in 12 years.
It is starting to feel as though his Stamford Bridge reign is cursed.
Chelsea’s new owners are determined to stand by their man but we are surely coming close to the point beyond which no elite club can fall before the manager gets the bullet.
Potter’s side had dragged themselves back into this west London derby before Felix’s moment of lunacy – a horrible late challenge on Kenny Tete – earned a straight red.
Portuguese World Cup star Felix, borrowed from Atletico Madrid on a staggering £10million loan fee, had been the best player on the pitch until that moment yet he will now be banned for three matches.
How’s your luck, Potter?
He would surely have demanded more fighting spirit from his players after Sunday’s FA Cup surrender at Manchester City – but not that much fight.
Carlos Vinicus – understudy for Fulham’s goal machine Aleksandar Mitrovic – then headed the winner to send Marco Silva’s side soaring into sixth place in the Premier League.
They are six points and four places clear of their neighbours now, a situation unheard of in decades.
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Kalidou Koulibaly had cancelled out an opener from former Chelsea winger Willian – who, at 34, could surely still get into this Blues team.
As the Fulham fans gleefully told Potter he was ‘getting sacked in the morning’, the patience of owner Todd Boehly cannot have too far left to stretch.
While Chelsea still had nine senior players out injured, they have now signed four new recruits during this window, and there was still plenty of quality on Potter’s bench.
Felix had only received his work permit earlier in the day but he’d enjoyed an excellent World Cup with Portugal and had been desperate to get away from his hardline boss Diego Simeone with whom he had endured something of a hate/hate relationship.
And the new boy’s first contribution was an excellent one as toasted Tim Ream with a turn and fed Kai Havertz, whose shot was blocked before Lewis Hall’s follow-up was saved by the legs of Bernd Leno.
Felix one a couple of free-kicks early on too – earning bookings for Antonee Robinson and Andreas Pereira – and the Chelsea fans were singing the Portuguese’s name inside ten minutes of his debut.
The debutant dragged one shot wide but he had clearly added a new dimension to a Chelsea attack which been lacking a cutting edge all season.
Fulham were without their suspended leading scorer Mitrovic but they had won four successive games since the World Cup break.
They had some promising early moments too – a saucy Pereira backheel for Robinson, who teed up Vinicius to turn and shoot wide.
Chelsea survived a VAR review for a penalty when Vinicius fell under a challenge from Denis Zakaria.
And Potter’s boys were served a major warning when Trevoh Chalobah’s slip let in Vincius who fed Bobby De Cordova-Reid to crack a shot against the bar.
Soon after, the roof was wobbling on the old Cottage as Fulham seized the lead – De Cordova-Reid robbed teenager Hall and his low centre found Willian, who cut in from the left and drilled a right-footed which deflected off Chalobah, fooling Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The Brazilian veteran tried not to celebrate but eventually he couldn’t help himself.
It had been a big shout from Potter to choose Hall in front of Marc Cucurella and it wasn’t paying off.
Hall soon had another shot deflected wide but the Blues, who’d started so well, were starting to look ragged.
Yet an error from Tosin Adarabioyo let in Havertz who slipped a pass to Felix for a shot smartly saved by Leno.
Kepa spilled a weak Vinicius header, causing another moment of panic in the Blues defence.
Yet Chelsea had managed 14 shots in the first period so there had been no lack of attacking intent, in what had been a frenetic end-to-end half.
And within two minutes of the restart Chelsea were level.
Kenny Tete fouled Hall on the left-hand edge of the area, Mount attempted to catch Leno out at his near-post with the dead ball and struck the upright, Koulibaly reacted fastest to stab itr over the line.
“We are staying up!” sang the Blues fans as the rest of the Cottage crowd was silenced.
Zakaria was forced off with an injury and replaced by Jorginho – and then the major flashpoint as Felix flew in late on Tete with a potential leg-breaker.
Ref David Coote thought long and hard before he showed the red card but there was no doubt.
Fulham failed to grab any immediate initiative, though, and Havertz was soon bearing down on goal, Leno out already to block the German’s shot.
So Fulham’s winner was somewhat out of the blue as Pereira delivered a deep cross, Kepa only came out halfway and Vinicius went beyond Chalobah to head home at the back stick.
After the match goalscorer Willian said: “It was a special night for us. We deserved the win. We know how difficult it is to play Chelsea, they are in a difficult situation but they have a good team. It was a special night for me playing against them.
“I had an amazing seven years there. I have big respect for the fans, club and the people who work there. But I play for Fulham and I have to do my best for them. It was a special night.”