Fulham stun Chelsea with late goals to earn first Stamford Bridge win since 1979
Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz came off the bench to stun Chelsea and end Fulham’s 45-year Stamford Bridge hoodoo.
The Blues were leading through Cole Palmer’s classy early goal and looking on course for an eighth win in nine matches to keep the heat on Premier League leaders Liverpool.
But Wilson equalised with eight minutes remaining and Muniz struck deep into stoppage time to secure a 2-1 victory and Fulham’s first win at their west London rivals since 1979.
In fact it was 13 years to the day since Fulham last even scored at the Bridge, with Clint Dempsey on target in a 1-1 draw.
So the omens were certainly against them when Palmer fired Chelsea ahead in the 16th minute.
There did not look to be much on when Levi Colwill played the ball into Palmer’s feet about 40 yards out.
But the England star burst into life, turning away from Andreas Pereira and gliding past Sasa Lukic towards the edge of the box.
Palmer then applied the finish, almost nonchalantly passing the ball through the legs of defender Issa Diop and into the corner of Bernd Leno’s goal.
It was Palmer’s 26th league strike of 2024, beating the Chelsea record for Premier League goals scored in a calendar year set by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 2001.
The 22-year-old almost bagged another moments later, with a nutmeg on the edge of the box followed by a low drive which was well kept out by Leno.
The Fulham goalkeeper came to the rescue again when he dived to claw away Marc Cucurella’s header from an Enzo Fernandez free-kick.
But Fulham had their chances too in the first half, not least when Calvin Bassey embarked on a mazy run from inside his own half.
The full-back cut in between two Chelsea defenders before his shot was eventually held, at the second attempt, by Robert Sanchez.
Leno made a spectacular save early in the second half to tip a Fernandez drive over the crossbar.
From the corner, Palmer swung in a cross which was nodded in by Colwill, but the defender was flagged offside.
But Chelsea began to let Fulham come at them and Alex Iwobi sent a curling shot just wide before Sanchez kept out Antonee Robinson from close range.
Fulham must have thought it was not going to be their day, again, when Sanchez brilliantly saved a header from Muniz.
But with eight minutes left Iwobi raided down the right – knocking over Pedro Neto as he went – before playing in Robinson.
The Fulham captain’s cross was headed back across goal by Timothy Castagne for Wilson to glance in at the far post.
Then, four minutes into stoppage time, Chelsea left more gaps at the back and Lukic squared for Muniz to bury in the bottom corner and snatch a memorable win for the visitors.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie