Chelsea secured a vital three points in the push for European qualification as late goals from Tyrique George and Pedro Neto secured a comeback win over Fulham.
After a turgid first half, which ended with Fulham leading through Alex Iwobi, the Blues came alive in the second half, pushing relentlessly for an equaliser which would not come until late on. An instinctive finish from George got the better of Bernd Leno with just seven minutes left of the ninety.
Neto would add the winner in the 93rd minute, flicking the ball up to set up a roundhouse volley which took the net off and silenced Craven Cottage’s Hammersmith End. It made amends both for his earlier miss and for Fulham’s injury time winner at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day, also denying Fulham a first-ever league double over Chelsea.
Fulham vs Chelsea latest news
- KICK OFF
- GOAL! Fulham lead through Iwobi
- MISS! Leno save denies Neto's close range shot
- GOAL! George equalises for Chelsea
- GOAL! Neto wins it late
FULL TIME: Fulham 1-2 Chelsea
15:55 , Arthur FerridgeAnd Pedro Neto’s late goal wins it for Chelsea, who return to the Champions League places.
You can’t say it isn’t deserved - Chelsea were much the better side through the second half, with a pair of late goals defining the tie.
GOAL! Fulham 1-2 Chelsea
15:52 , Arthur Ferridge90+3mins: What a goal to win it for Chelsea! The pass is behind Pedro Neto, but he flicks it up, spins 180 degrees, and pounds a shot home!
He has properly taken the net off there - what a moment for the Portuguese.
Fulham 1-1 Chelsea
15:49 , Arthur Ferridge90mins: Six minutes have been added on.
Fulham 1-1 Chelsea
15:48 , Arthur Ferridge89mins: Gusto seems to have tweaked his hamstring dribbling and is replaced by Tosin.
Fulham 1-1 Chelsea
15:4687mins: Neto dances inside and looks to complete an impressive solo effort but his shot is tame.
Fulham 1-1 Chelsea
15:45 , Arthur Ferridge86mins: Moises Caicedo is booked, and will face a two-match suspension as a result.
GOAL! Fulham 1-1 Chelsea
15:43 , Arthur Ferridge83mins: Goal for Chelsea, and what a moment for Tyrique George! It is his first Premier League goal, and so well taken.
He shoots first time, powering his shot into the bottom left corner and just beyond Leno’s outstretched arm.
Is there time to grab a winner?
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:39 , Arthur Ferridge79mins: Marc Cucurella clatters Harry Wilson, moments after his introduction.
The Spaniard’s name goes into the book.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:36 , Arthur FerridgeAs the away end continues to sing for Super Frank...
Maresca's points per game in the Premier League as Chelsea manager will drop below Lampard if this score stays the same. https://t.co/Fz20ecIvDc
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) April 20, 2025
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:3578mins: Maresca looks to the bench again, introducing youngster Tyrique George in Nicolas Jackson’s stead.
Jackson has had a very quiet showing. Can George be the difference maker?
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:33 , Arthur Ferridge73mins: In the away end, the Chelsea fans are singing Frank Lampard’s name en masse.
He is now in charge of Coventry City, and beat West Brom 2-0 at home on Friday to take a step closer to earning promotion back to the Premier League.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:3172mins: In rather worrying scenes, Fulham academy graduate Ryan Sessegnon is down injured. He has not had great luck with injuries in his career, and will not want to return to the physio’s room.
He will continue, but Lukic will be replaced by Tom Cairney.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:28 , Arthur Ferridge69mins: A flash Chelsea short corner routine goes nowhere. The longer this half wears on, the more apparent it is that something is lacking for Chelsea.
What is that? Much harder to say.
While we grapple with that existential dilemma, Palmer drives to the byline and drills a left-footed shot into the Hammersmith End.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:2464mins: There is a clear disconnect somewhere in this Chelsea team. How many times today have we seen a low cross drilled across the ball, only for no blue shirt to bother attacking it?
One must look to Jackson, who does not yet seem to have shaken off the rust which came with his injury.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:22 , Arthur Ferridge61mins: Sancho is the latest Chel to try his luck. His shot, once again, falls right to Leno.
There was surely been some improvement from the Blues, but they have admittedly been let down by their finishing. Leno is a talented keeper, but has not been overly challenged by any of the shots he has faced.
The theme continues as Cucurella picks up a loose ball and curls a shot towards the far corner, but his attempt is blocked.
Malik Ouzia at Craven Cottage
15:19 , Arthur FerridgeNot sure if there’s been much of an improvement from Chelsea since half-time but there’s certainly been a drop-off from Fulham. They’ve been nothing like as assured in their use of the ball.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:18 , Arthur FerridgeNobody was more surprised than Pedro Neto when that chance went begging.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:15 , Arthur Ferridge56mins: How on Earth has he done that!
Pedro Neto is handed a wonderful opportunity to shoot from the centre of the 18-yard box, but Leno pulls off a great save with his feet.
That really should have been 1-1, and Neto looks shocked to have missed.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:12 , Arthur Ferridge53mins: It is end-to-end stuff here. Chelsea bomb forward through Jackson, but his cross is underhit and misplaced.
Chelsea recover possession and find Malo Gusto, who shoots from range with his weak foot to force a save from Leno, who catches the ball.
Great improvement from Chelsea so far this half.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:10 , Arthur Ferridge50mins: Palmer goes down in the box under assistance from Joachim Andersen, but his appeals are halfhearted and no foul is given.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:08 , Arthur Ferridge48mins: Fernandez’s delivery is good and Fulham are forced to push the ball behind for a corner, which comes to nothing.
It has been a great start to the half from the Blues.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:06 , Arthur Ferridge47mins: Sancho sees his first touch of the ball and is routinely dispossessed by Kenny Tete. Moments later, Pedro Neto wins a free kick on the opposite flank. He is taken down by Calvin Bassey, who you may remember is on a booking.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
15:04 , Arthur Ferridge45mins: We are back underway at Craven Cottage.
Two changes for Chelsea, who have replaced Reece James with Malo Gusto. That will likely be a ploy from Enzo Maresca to rest his captain after he played a full 90 on Thursday.
He has also dropped Madueke in favour of Jadon Sancho.
Around the grounds
14:53 , Arthur FerridgeMan United still seem somewhat hungover from Thursday’s all-action win over Lyon. They play out a goalless first half at Old Trafford, hosting Wolves.
Arsenal, unsurprisingly, are two to the good at Portman Road, a result which will add to Ipswich’s misery as they wait for their relegation to be confirmed.
HALF TIME: Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
14:48 , Arthur FerridgeChelsea will likely feel hard done by to still be behind, but the truth is they have not offered much tangible threat to Leno. Fulham have been more than equal to their attacks as Jackson and Palmer have again been anonymous, particularly since Iwobi’s goal.
Malik Ouzia at Craven Cottage: Fulham good value for their lead. Chelsea’s best passage actually came in the few minutes before the goal but they’ve not offered any significant response since.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
14:46 , Arthur Ferridge43mins: Not entirely clear how Pereira has gotten away without a booking there. He crashes through the back of Chalobah, then turns around and does the same to Fernandez, both right in front of Anthony Taylor.
The referee is uninterested.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
14:42 , Arthur Ferridge40mins: Madueke produces some lovely footwork as he cuts in off the right flank. He finds Fernandez, whose chip in to Jackson is intercepted.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
14:40 , Arthur Ferridge37mins: Chelsea are resorting to long ball football here as Reece James looks long for Neto.
The pass nearly comes off, but is just slightly overhit.
Malik Ouzia at Craven Cottage
14:37 , Arthur FerridgePedro Neto the latest to get involved with some arm-flapping. Justified, in fairness, because he had acres of space down this left side and Sanchez rolled short the other way.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
14:35 , Arthur Ferridge32mins: Once again, Chelsea must do better. Pedro Neto whips a dangerous ball into the area and Jackson just doesn’t quite reach it.
The Blues will feel that should have been 1-1.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
14:34 , Arthur Ferridge31mins: Cucurella flounders under pressure and plays a short pass out of bounds.
If that doesn’t sum up Chelsea’s afternoon, what does?
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
14:32 , Arthur Ferridge30mins: Colwill goes into the book after a late tackle on Raul Jiminez.
Malik Ouzia at Craven Cottage
14:31 , Arthur FerridgeWe’ve seen this kind of petulance creep into several Chelsea performances of late. When things are against them it’s late fouls, moaning at the officials, little snide bits of play - but no actual leadership or response in the football.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
14:30 , Arthur Ferridge27mins: Andersen really should do better. He is in acres of space for the corner but completely misses the ball as he looks to head at goal.
Malik Ouzia at Craven Cottage as Fulham go close again
14:29 , Arthur FerridgeChelsea are living so dangerously here. Andersen was completely unmarked if he could have connected.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
14:27 , Arthur Ferridge24mins: Palmer’s bizarre hoodoo continues. He gets on the ball near the box and drives at Calvin Bassey, but neglects to make a move, sell a dummy, or play a pass.
Clearly struggling for confidence, he just runs right into him and is dispossessed.
Bassey is booked for a foul on Fernandez moments later, and nothing comes of the Chelsea free kick which follows.
Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
14:25 , Arthur Ferridge23mins: Chelsea had been steadily improving before Iwobi’s goal, and that feels like something of a gut punch for the Blues.
Ask any fan in the away end how the remaining 70 minutes or so of this match will go, and I doubt many would predict a Chelsea comeback.
Malik Ouzia at Craven Cottage
14:24 , Arthur FerridgeReece James is still complaining to Anthony Taylor but it’s so poor. He wanted too long on the ball and was hustled out of it by Sessegnon.
GOAL! Fulham 1-0 Chelsea
14:23 , Arthur Ferridge21mins: The deadlock is broken, and this one will not be ruled out! Reece James has his pocket picked by Ryan Sessegnon who squares to Iwobi, and the Nigeria international finishes neatly across the face of goal into the bottom right corner.
Advantage, Fulham.
Fulham 0-0 Chelsea
14:21 , Arthur Ferridge18mins: Luckily for Cucurella, Sessegnon and Iwobi seem to have traded wings. Chelsea are coping better defensively now, but still look somewhat scattered as they clear another Fulham attack.
Malik Ouzia at Craven Cottage
14:19 , Arthur FerridgeThere are a lot of angry Chelsea players out there. Palmer fuming at Madueke a moment ago for not letting a cross run, Cucurella raging at the linesman for not putting his flag up, despite Colwill being about 10 yards deeper.
Fulham 0-0 Chelsea
14:18 , Arthur Ferridge15mins: That is Chelsea’s best attack so far, but Neto’s cross gets beyond both Madueke and Palmer. They do not look pleased with each other.
Fulham 0-0 Chelsea
14:17 , Arthur Ferridge14mins: Chelsea win a freekick on the left corner of the Fulham 18-yard box. James’ shot is plenty powerful but right at Leno, who saves routinely.
Malik Ouzia at Craven Cottage
14:15 , Arthur FerridgeIt’s going to be a real test for Reece James defensively with Robinson flying beyond him on the overlap, but he showed his quality on the ball there with a terrific switch of play for Neto.
Fulham 0-0 Chelsea
14:14 , Arthur Ferridge11mins: Who is wearing the number 20 shirt, and what have they done with the real Cole Palmer?
The Briton latches onto a loose ball and wafts a tame shot goalwards. Until January of this year you would have bet your house on him burying it, but he gives Leno no real problem.
Fulham 0-0 Chelsea
14:12 , Arthur Ferridge8mins: European champion Marc Cucurella looks to be struggling to handle Ryan Sessegnon. The 24-year-old winger is heaping pressure on the Spaniard with pacey runs forward.
He and Cucurella chase a ball towards the Chelsea byline, and the defender can only put it behind for a corner.
Fulham 0-0 Chelsea
14:10 , Arthur Ferridge7mins: Fulham have spent much of the opening exchanges in the attacking third but are yet to go closer than Pereira’s disallowed effort as Sanchez claims a cross to recover possession for the visitors.
Malik Ouzia at Craven Cottage
14:08 , Arthur FerridgeEnzo Fernandez is gesturing wildly at his teammates whenever there’s a break in play. Fulham have started much better.
Fulham 0-0 Chelsea
14:054mins: It has been a scrappy start here at Craven Cottage. Both sides struggle to hold onto the ball in the early stages, but it is Fulham who net first.
Pereira’s goal is ruled out for offside.
Malik Ouzia at Craven Cottage
14:02 , Arthur FerridgeWho had 67 seconds in the ‘first dodgy Robert Sanchez pass’ bingo?
KICKOFF: Fulham 0-0 Chelsea
14:00 , Arthur FerridgeThe players are out under a sunny Fulham sky and an impressive pyrotechnic display.
The West London derby is underway at Craven Cottage.
Could Cole Palmer benefit from fan superstition?
13:51 , Arthur FerridgeCole Palmer is among this week’s most sold Fantasy Premier League players as his goal drought extends to three months.
Many FPL managers are believers in Murphy’s Law, which states that anything that can go wrong, will. Applied to FPL, it holds that a poorly performing player will rediscover form as soon as one sells them.
That plays into Palmer’s hands. Will he frustrate some FPL coaches this afternoon?
Just a quarter of an hour to go...
13:45 , Arthur FerridgeDerby Day awaits at Craven Cottage!
Who has had the better fortune in this London Derby?
13:40 , Arthur FerridgeRegardless of today’s result, the Derby Day bragging rights will belong to Chelsea.
The Blues lead comfortably in the head-to-head record.
Chelsea wins: 52
Fulham wins: 13
Draws: 27
Fulham confirm injuries to Emile Smith-Rowe and Rodrigo Muniz
13:32 , Arthur FerridgeThe pair have 13 league goals between them so far this seasons.
How will the Lilywhites cope in their absence?
Emile Smith Rowe and Rodrigo Muniz miss out through injury this afternoon.
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) April 20, 2025
What does a win mean for Chelsea?
13:23 , Arthur FerridgeFollowing yesterday’s results for Aston Villa and Man City, Chelsea have slumped to seventh in the Premier League table, outside of the Champions League places.
A win, though, will put them back up to fifth, just one point off Man City in fourth.
To take home three points today is crucial for the Blues.
Muniz will not haunt Chelsea
13:12 , Arthur FerridgeIt was Rodrigo Muniz’s goal which confirmed Fulham’s Boxing Day win over Chelsea.
But he has been dropped from the squad today, not even making the bench for the first time since October.
Also missing is Emile Smith Rowe. The pair reportedly picked up knocks in training.
Reece James back in his natural position
13:01Reece James will be pleased to be playing at full-back today.
Enzo Maresca has made a habit of playing his captain in midfield so as to limit his workload, but general consensus is that he is far more effective when bombing down the right flank.
Will that be enough to earn Chelsea a badly needed three points today?
Romeo Lavia returns to the bench
12:56 , Arthur FerridgeBelgian midfielder Romeo Lavia is named to a Chelsea squad for the first time since mid-March.
We know Enzo Maresca likes to manage minutes for players returning from injury, so don’t expect to see much more than a cameo for him today.
Malik Ouzia at Craven Cottage
12:49 , Arthur FerridgeOnly one real surprise in that Chelsea team, which is that Reece James starts despite Enzo Maresca reiterating his concerns on Thursday night about playing him every three days. Probably tells you how important this afternoon is.
Confirmed Fulham XI
12:47 , Arthur FerridgeMarco Silva’s Fulham line up as follows:
Fulham XI: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Berge, Lukic, Sessegnon, Pereira, Iwobi, Jiminez
Subs: Benda, Castagne, Cuenca, Reed, Cairney, Wilson, Adama, Willian, Vinicius
Confirmed Chelsea XI: James starts at full back
12:46 , Arthur FerridgeEnzo Maresca’s teamsheet is in - here’s how the Blues line up.
Chelsea XI: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
Subs: Jorgensen, Tosin, Badiashile, Acheampong, Gusto, Lavia, Dewsbury-Hall, Sancho, George
Last time out: Fulham fall to Bournemouth
12:42 , Arthur FerridgeFulham’s trip to the south coast on Monday was ill-fated. They conceded in under a minute courtesy of Antoine Semenyo, and never quite got going afterwards.
The match was almost entirely devoid of interesting moments for the remaining 89 minutes as it ended 1-0 to the Cherries.
Ryan Sessegnon had the best chance for Fulham, though his header was collected routinely by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Fulham presented little threat going forward on the night, and improvement will be required if they are to pull off a result against the Blues this afternoon.
Early team news: Romeo Lavia is at Craven Cottage
12:36 , Arthur FerridgeRomeo Lavia has travelled with the Chelsea squad to Fulham, suggesting he will at least make the bench after recovering from his latest hamstring injury.
Fulham look to make history
12:30 , Arthur FerridgeIncredibly, after sharing 40 league campaigns, Fulham are yet to complete a league double over Chelsea.
They won the reverse of this fixture on Boxing Day, late goals from Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz cancelling out Cole Palmer’s first-half solo effort to seal a 1-2 victory.
A win today would live long in Fulham folklore.
Stadium drama
12:23 , Arthur FerridgeA little-known fact surrounding this derby is that Fulham were offered the chance to move into Stamford Bridge in 1904, before Chelsea were founded.
In their early history, Fulham bounced around a variety of pitches in south-west London before settling at Craven Cottage, but turned down the rights to what then was an athletics and boxing stadium as they couldn’t afford to move in.
What could have been?
A proper derby
12:15 , Arthur FerridgeAs derbies go, you’d be hard pressed to find one as geographically significant as this one.
The two stadiums are barely a ten-minute drive apart, London traffic permitting, separated by just one-and-a-half miles as the crow flies.
And if you look closely (not that closely, mind) from Fulham’s new stand, you can see the Stamford Bridge exoskeleton looming against the London skyline.
Prediction: Chelsea's woes to continue
12:05 , Arthur FerridgeChelsea’s recent record in London derbies is far from impressive, having drawn with Brentford and lost to Arsenal and Tottenham.
The simmering tension between manager and fans is providing an uncomfortable backdrop to their ongoing struggles and inconsistency, while they desperately need star man Palmer to snap that long run without a goal that dates all the way back to January 14.
We anticipate a cagey tie, likely to end honours even.
Draw, 1-1
Chelsea team news: Caicedo and Fernandez to return after resting
12:02 , Arthur FerridgeMaresca named a strong squad for Chelsea’s loss to Legia Warsaw in midweek, but that is not to say he did not rotate.
Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Levi Colwill all missed out, while Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke made short second-half cameos.
All should feature today.
Captain Reece James completed 90 minutes in the Warsaw tie, though, and may be set for a rest as Maresca continues to manage his minutes.
Fulham team news: Wilson returns
11:55 , Arthur FerridgeFulham boast a near-spotless bill of health, featuring just one injury after Harry Wilson returned to training this week. He has been out since January with a foot injury and underwent surgery but is available for selection today.
Reiss Nelson is the only absence for today’s hosts. He underwent surgery on a hamstring issue in February and his return date is yet to be confirmed.
Chelsea team news: Maresca calls for more from Palmer and Jackson
11:50 , Arthur FerridgeChelsea’s dip in form of late is tied to various goal droughts across the front line. Talisman Cole Palmer has hit an inexplicable goal drought, not scoring since January, and striker Nicolas Jackson is goalless in his last 12 appearances.
Maresca has called for both men to improve if Chelsea are to qualify for Europe this season.
Wesley Fofana, Omari Kellyman, and Marc Guiu are all unavailable for Chelsea today.
But Romeo Lavia is back in contention at long last, returning to training this week from his latest hamstring injury.
How to watch Fulham vs Chelsea
11:45 , Arthur FerridgeFulham vs Chelsea has not been selected for broadcast in the UK. It was originally scheduled for Saturday but was moved due to Chelsea’s run in the Conference League, and as such, will not be on live TV.
But you can follow all the action right here with The Standard’s live blog, complete with analysis from Malik Ouzia at the ground.
When is kick off?
11:39 , Arthur FerridgeFulham vs Chelsea gets underway at Craven Cottage at 2pm BST.
Team news will be released at 12:45.
Hello!
11:23 , Arthur FerridgeGood afternoon and welcome to The Standard’s LIVE coverage of Fulham vs Chelsea at Craven Cottage.
A West London derby is about the last thing Chelsea need right now as they look to recover from a humiliating midweek loss to Legia Warsaw.
Fulham will look to heap more misery on their guests in front of the home faithful. Can they complete a first ever league double over Chelsea?
