Chelsea 1-0 Fulham

Palmer exhibited his signature composure in dispatching his fifth penalty kick of the season, capitalizing on Issa Diop's foul on Raheem Sterling just before halftime at Stamford Bridge.

Despite Chelsea's dominance in the game after the 21-year-old's goal, they struggled to convert opportunities, echoing their missed chances in the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat to Middlesbrough on Tuesday. The narrow victory, preserved by goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic's sharp saves, delivered a crucial morale boost for the home fans and elevated Pochettino's team to eighth in the Premier League standings, while Fulham remained in 13th place.

Fulham's manager commented on the contentious decision, stating, "It's a clear red card." He acknowledged the challenge for the referee, Anthony Taylor, in making such a quick decision but emphasized that, in similar situations, the outcome often results in a red card in the Premier League.

In contrast, Pochettino supported the officials' judgment, noting that Chelsea had experienced misfortune with a similar red card incident involving Gusto against Aston Villa in September. He acknowledged his positive relationship with Fulham's manager, Marco Silva, stating, "I have a very good relationship with Marco Silva. He is a great person and a great coach." Pochettino empathized with Silva's perspective, recognizing that in different circumstances, such decisions can favor or go against a team.

How Chelsea Make a Victory

In his matchday program notes after the midweek loss at Middlesbrough, Pochettino pledged to restore smiles to Chelsea faces, but the team had a sluggish start before finding their rhythm. Armando Broja had a close call, heading an Enzo Fernandez cross narrowly wide, but struggled to make a significant impact up front. Fulham effectively repelled Chelsea's attacks and posed threats at the opposite end of the pitch.

Just before the half-hour mark, Fulham came close to breaking the deadlock when Harry Wilson, exploiting the matchup against makeshift left-back Levi Colwill, forced a sharp save from Petrovic from Antonee Robinson's teasing cross.

Chelsea had their own moment of concern when right-back Gusto caught former Blue Willian on the ankle with his studs. While the away fans called for a red card, referee Anthony Taylor issued a yellow, and VAR did not intervene.

The breakthrough for Chelsea came when Palmer's exceptional reverse pass, the standout moment in the first half, set up Sterling, who won a penalty after slight contact from Issa Diop. Palmer confidently converted the penalty, taking his season goal tally to nine and maintaining a perfect record of five successful penalties out of five since joining from Manchester City.

The second half saw Chelsea starting strongly, with Palmer narrowly missing a curled shot, Sterling hitting the outside of the post with a header, and Broja failing to connect with a low cross from Gusto. Despite the pressure, Fulham reminded Chelsea of their attacking threat, with Raul Jimenez forcing an athletic save from Petrovic.

Chelsea continued to create opportunities, with Conor Gallagher hitting the upright and substitute Noni Madueke testing Bernd Leno in stoppage time. However, the closing stages were nervy for Chelsea as they struggled to manage the game and invited Fulham pressure.

Despite Fulham winning several free-kicks in dangerous areas, Chelsea managed to hold on to their lead. The victory was even more significant with the return of Ben Chilwell as a substitute after four months on the sidelines, contributing to the positive atmosphere at the final whistle.