The opening goal arrived just before the break when João Pedro rose to meet an Enzo Fernández corner with a precise header—his fifth goal in as many games . Early in the second half, Chelsea were awarded a penalty following a handball by Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon in the box, another decision that followed a VAR review; Fernández stepped up to convert the spot-kick and double the lead .
VAR played a pivotal role—not always in Chelsea’s favour. Fulham’s teenager Josh King thought he’d given his side the lead early on, but the goal was disallowed after VAR judged that Rodrigo Muniz fouled Trevoh Chalobah in the buildup—an outcome that sparked outrage from Fulham's manager and fans . The officiating decisions, particularly regarding VAR, became a defining feature of the match discussion .
Despite these controversial moments and an early blow with Liam Delap returning to the dressing room due to a hamstring injury—and with key players like Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill sidelined—Chelsea showed resilience and composure . In the dying minutes, João Pedro even preserved the clean sheet with a goal-line clearance to thwart a late Fulham surge .
With this win, Chelsea now boast seven points from their opening three Premier League matches, placing them firmly near the summit of the table . Fulham, meanwhile, ended their run of unbeaten league form and will look to bounce back when they host Leeds United next. Chelsea's next challenge awaits on September 13, when they travel to Brentford .
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