Substitute Rodrigo Muniz scored the winner late into six minutes of stoppage time as Fulham staged a magnificent late comeback to stun Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea looked to be maintaining the pressure on Premier League pace-setters Liverpool as they defended a lead given to them by Cole Palmer’s smooth 16th-minute strike.
Fulham, however, never took a backward step and were rewarded in the most dramatic fashion with two late goals as Chelsea’s title aspirations suffered a serious setback.
Marco Silva’s Fulham substitutions worked to perfection, first when Harry Wilson headed the equaliser after 82 minutes before Muniz steered a low finish past Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez in the 95th minute.
Chelsea were never comfortable, even after Palmer’s strike which was his 26th Premier League goal in the calendar year, breaking the Chelsea record set by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbain
k in 2001.
Fulham were relentless in pursuit of at least a point and got full value for their ambition, securing their first win at Stamford Bridge in 45 years.
Marco Silva works his magic again
Marco Silva’s superb work at Fulham has been illustrated by the manner in which they earned fully deserved draws at home to Arsenal and away at Liverpool in recent weeks.
Fulham are a potent combination of quality, energy and relentless ambition and that was all on show here as they were undaunted by going behind to Palmer’s superb early strike.
It was no surprise when Wilson equalised, Fulham then preying on Chelsea’s growing anxiety to snatch that late winner from Muniz.
Silva raced down the touchline to celebrate with his backroom staff, the Portuguese manager’s positive attitude and coaching acumen central to this superb performance.
Fulham keeper Leno played his part, with crucial saves from Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez either side of the break – as well as keeping Chelsea out in a frantic late goalmouth scramble.
This was no Fulham rearguard action, however.
Chelsea keeper Sanchez plunged bravely at the feet of Antonee Robinson as the Fulham left-back looked poised to equalise.
Fulham did not have long to wait for Wilson’s equaliser, at the Wales midfielder made the sort of late impact he has perfected this season as exemplified with two goals in the similar late turnaround win against Brentford at Craven Cottage.
Muniz’s winner sparked ecstatic scenes among Fulham’s players and supporters – and no-one can begrudge them the celebration on this evidence.
Palmer’s brilliance fails to save Chelsea
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has always said Premier League title talk was premature, even as they emerged as Liverpool’s closest challengers in recent weeks.
If this was proof that the Italian being realistic, it came as part of a very painful experience with Chelsea going from contemplating closing in on Liverpool to sifting through the wreckage of a damaging loss after a dramatic finale at Stamford Bridge.
Maresca can point to Cucurella’s first-half header, which the Spanish defender directed straight at Leno when he should have scored and then the keeper’s acrobatic stop from Fernandez.
However, this was a Chelsea display that lacked ideas and creation.
Palmer, as usual, made his contribution with a goal but it was a rare highlight in a flat Chelsea performance, with most of the drive coming from Fulham after the break.
Maresca was accused of expectation management as he tried to take Chelsea out of the Premier League title conversation. There is still hope – but this was the sort of result and performance that acts as brutal reality check and suggests he may have been right all along.
By BBC Sports
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