London, Jan 14 (IANS) A late first-half penalty from Cole Palmer helped Chelsea safe a 1-0 victory over Fulham within the Premier League and prolonged their unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge to eight matches in all competitions.
Palmer transformed a penalty in first-half stoppage time, scoring his ninth purpose of the season and taking Chelsea as much as eighth within the desk, above Manchester United on purpose distinction.
The 21-year-old’s ninth purpose of the season equalled the membership report for essentially the most strikes in a Premier League marketing campaign by a participant aged 21 or youthful, after Christian Pulisic’s tally in 2019/20, Premier league experiences.
Fulham’s defeat extends their depressing report at Stamford Bridge, the place they’re winless in 19 league journeys relationship again to 1979, shedding 12 of these visits.
Chelsea dominated possession within the opening exchanges and threatened the Fulham purpose. Conor Gallagher had the primary effort earlier than Armando Broja guided a header narrowly vast from a well-delivered Enzo Fernandez cross.
Chelsea continued to wrestle to create clear openings till first-half stoppage time. A intelligent disguised go by Palmer discovered Raheem Sterling, who was introduced down within the field by Issa Diop, and Palmer buried his penalty into the bottom-right nook.
The second half adopted an analogous sample, with Chelsea struggling so as to add to their lead and Fulham threatening sporadically on the different finish. Within the 53rd minute Robinson picked out Raul Jimenez, who was unable to direct his header in direction of purpose.
Then within the 72nd minute Andreas Pereira drove into the field and in the reduction of the ball to Jimenez, whose low shot in direction of the bottom-left nook was effectively saved by Petrovic.
Chelsea practically received the respiration room they craved with eight minutes remaining as Gallagher’s wonderful effort with the skin of his boot hit the left put up. However as a substitute, they needed to survive a nervy end.
A late free-kick from former Chelsea participant Willian induced a scramble and the ball fell to Bobby De Cordova-Reid, whose goalbound shot was inadvertently blocked by team-mate Diop. That was adopted by a sport of head-tennis in Chelsea’s field within the fifth minute of stoppage minute, with the Blues finally lashing the ball away with the ultimate kick of the match.
Fulham, who are actually winless of their final 10 away league matches, sit thirteenth on 24 factors, eight factors above the relegation zone.
–IANS
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