Chelsea grind out another win to take a step in right direction

LONDON — Midway through stoppage time, Chelsea were frantically defending a one-goal lead with five at the back and no discernible presence in front of a team without a win at Stamford Bridge since 1979. These are desperate days for manager Mauricio Pochettino and his young side. Holding on for a 1-0 win over Fulham may seem a fall from grace compared to the club's halcyon days, but Pochettino must believe that tiny acorns will grow into mighty oaks.

Cole Palmer continues to look like Chelsea's biggest individual hope. The 21-year-old midfielder's injury-time penalty at the end of the first half further demonstrated his impressive composure under pressure. It capped off an impressive personal display as he was one of the only players to threaten to drag the match out of the meandering mediocrity it mainly resided in, while he showed a strong determination to recover from a plethora of missed opportunities in Tuesday's first EFL Cup semi-final. -defeat to Middlesbrough.

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Chelsea's £40 million summer signing from Manchester City now has 18 goals (11 goals, 7 assists) in all competitions this season, the third highest tally for a player aged 21 or under in Europe's top five leagues – only Real Madrid. Jude Bellingham (now 22) and Florian Wirtz (20) from Bayer Leverkusen had a greater influence.

Victory over Fulham means Chelsea have now won three Premier League matches on the bounce for the first time since October 2022. Not that Stamford Bridge still resembles the fortress of old. There was a distinct chill in the air – beyond the cold January weather in London – with Chelsea fans on edge, bemoaning the lack of attack, misplaced passes and the precarious nature of their lead .

Angry scenes in which some traveling Chelsea fans insulted their own players against Middlesbrough should serve as a warning sign for Pochettino. A test of patience awaits as the coach tries to shape a team and the fans here need something to root for.

Aside from Palmer's class, Conor Gallagher's tireless efforts are one such hallmark. He almost capped another display of energy with a brilliant goal, hitting Bernd Leno's right post with a sublime shot struck from the outside of his right foot from the edge of the area.

This would have been tough for Fulham, who were present throughout this match but lacked the quality to hurt their opponents. They have now won just one of their last 24 league meetings with Chelsea.

Their task could have been much easier had Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto been sent off for a late tackle on Willian after 39 minutes. Referee Anthony Taylor brandished a yellow card and VAR official Michael Salisbury decided that Gusto's challenge was neither dangerous nor reckless, and therefore did not merit further punishment.

“We have to talk about the red card for Gusto, that was clear,” Fulham manager Marco Silva said. “It's hard to see how things are inconsistent at the level we're at. It's the Premier League. In 10 of those moments, nine times, it's a red card. It's a clear red card for me. VAR checked and this time they didn't give [it].

“I haven't spoken to the officials. I don't want to say what the fourth official said. He has the same opinion as me, but it's not for him to say, it's for VAR to decide . It's a normal decision by the referee, but the help should come from VAR.”

Pochettino replied: “If I was put in his place, I would tell you it's a red card. The action, they thought it was a yellow card. Good for us.”

An equally crucial moment came a few minutes later. Palmer's clever reverse pass found Raheem Sterling in the box. Sterling moved back inside and Issa Diop stuck out his leg in hope rather than expectation, making contact with the England winger to bring him down. It was Chelsea's eighth penalty of the season – Sterling has won three – and both are Premier League highs.

Although Fulham showed signs of weariness in their midweek EFL Cup semi-final against Liverpool, Chelsea were unable to kill off their opponents. Blues goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic saved Harry Wilson well in the first half, then Raúl Jiménez in the second half. Then left-back Ben Chilwell made his first Chelsea appearance since September 27 following a hamstring injury – another small step in the right direction alongside a fourth consecutive home win in all competitions.

“If you look back over the last few months, we were one of the best teams and in the Premier League, three games in a row won here, four at Stamford Bridge, it's important for the team the way we are and to the way we build this process,” Pochettino said. “It’s important to feel confident and accept criticism.”

At one point it appeared that this game would only be memorable because of a bizarre public relations stunt in which seven men wearing matching suits stood up at regular intervals during the game as part of a marketing campaign aimed at promoting a film coming out next month involving Todd Boehly's production company. All this took place just a few meters from Pochettino's dugout.

“I knew about it,” Pochettino said. “It didn't affect the show. For me it's welcome. It's part of the show. It didn't stop the professionals, the players or ourselves from doing our job. It was nice for fans to see the promotion of the film. It looks very good the film, “Argylle”. It looks very, very good. Maybe they will invite me for the premiere.

The film will do well to replicate the tension shown here.