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By DAN DAVIS, SPORTS REPORTER and HARRY BAMFORTH, LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE REPORTER and KIERAN GILL, MAIL SPORT REPORTER Updated: 00: 00 AEST, 31 August 2025 393 View comments Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Chelsea host Fulham at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, with Kieran Gill reporting from the grounds. By Dan Davis Chelsea forward Joao Pedro, speaking to TNT Sports: On the decision to disallow Fulham's goal: On Chelsea's second goal: By Dan Davis Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole, speaking on TNT Sports: By Dan Davis Unsurprisingly, Marco Silva looked apoplectic after the final whistle. But he didn't make a beeline for the officials like I thought he would. Instead, he applauded the away end before heading down the tunnel. I'm assuming that's to avoid landing a massive fine. By Dan Davis Well, that was nice and incident-free, wasn't it? Deary me. My word, there is a lot to get through. If you are a Fulham fan, your head may pop off as we make you re-live what just happened in that match. I'm sorry, though, we are going to. My fabulous colleague Dan Davis will be taking you through all the talking points from here on. You're in safe hands. Rob Jones may want to steer clear of Craven Cottage for a while; he is not well-liked over there. The referee is booed by teh away fans as he leaves the pitch, and well, I'm not surprised. That will be a really tough loss to take for Fulham. They were dominant in that first half and thought they went 1-0 up, until Jones and VAR ruined the party. Then there was the stoppage time goal from Chelsea and the penalty that should not have been given. When it rains, it pours. A dramatic London derby comes to an end. Chelsea add three more points to their tally to go top of the Premier League, but that is only half the story. Marco Silva looks like he needs to take a few deep breaths as he charges onto the turf after the final whistle. It was not his day, or Fulham's. .. football can be brutal. And its back out. Sasa Lukic gets his customary yellow card - he was never going to leave here without one. Well, that's naughty. Andrey Santos hacks down Harry Wilson outside his own box and picks up a yellow. But the resulting free-kick is wasted spectacularly by Raul Jimenez. What can't Joao Pedro do? ?? I was just about to type that the forward was struggling with his calf, but he is obviously doing OK as he makes a huge goal-line clearance to deny Fulham a goal back. Joachim Andersen heads a corner toward goal, and it looks like it's going in, but Pedro is on the line to clear. A Joao of all trades. .. (I'll get my coat) The dreaded eight minutes of stoppage time. The exact same amount has been added in the second half as the first, and we know what went down in those eight. Reece James is a man of the people. The Chelsea captain collects the ball 25 yards out and the fans instantly begin a chorus of 'shooooooooot'. James obliges by drilling a low effort toward the bottom corner, but Bernd Leno gets down to it. Ohhhh. .. that's a chance, a real chance. Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez combine like they did on so many occasions in a Wolves shirt, but this time it doesn't end in celebrations. Traore whips in a delightful ball, but Jimenez jumps slightly too late and ends up stretching for it. His header goes high and wide. Bernd Leno keeps Fulham's faint hopes of a comeback alive. Joao Pedro is still going and he comes so close to bagging a second of the game. The ball drops to the Brazilian and he hammers a volley at goal, but Leno manages to beat the ball away. Would have been one hell of a strike. One last throw of the dice from Marco Silva. He throws on Adama Traore, who is looking as wham as ever, and Alex Iwobi makes way. Can Traore do some late damage? Here comes the captain. Reece James enters the action and takes the armband off of Enzo Fernandez, as he replaces Pedro Neto. Meanwhile, Andrey Santos is on for Tyrique George. Fulham fans are not going to get over this one in a hurry. They are now singing 'You're not fit to referee' at Rob Jones. .. very original. They have a right to be miffed, mind. Their team is finally getting more of the ball again, but ain't doing zilch with it. VAR really has ruined this game. Now, many Chelsea fans may think I hate them and all that jazz (which I obviously don't), but those decisions have just taken teh fight from Fulham. It was a gripping contest before but now Chelsea are just walking it with no problems. A tough watch now. Well, Rob Jones has got that one right, at least. Alex Iwobi shows his frustration and pulls the shirt of Trevoh Chalonah after getting beaten. A clear yellow. This third goal is coming now. Chelsea cause chaos from another corner as Trevoh Chalobah flicks one across the area. It's just screaming to be finished off, but it misses every single player in a blue shirt. The mood in this ground has completely changed. Time for some more changes. Emile Smith-Rowe and Antonee Robinson are on for Fulham, while Jamie Gittens is on for Chelsea. Sasa Lukic, Ryan Sessegnon, and Estevao are the trio who make way. So nearly three. .. Fulham need to be careful that this doesn't start to get messy as their heads continue to drop. Joao Pedro ghosts into the back stick and gets on the end of a teasing cross, but he can't prod it home from six yards out. Pedro is really getting involved now. Chelsea are controlling this game for the first time. It's almost as if Fulham have given up now after that penalty, they looked sapped of all motivation and confidence. That's what two VAR decisions going against you will do. As I type that, Joao Pedro has a dig, but it's deflected through to Bernd Leno. Marco Silva turns to his substitutes. Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson come on for the visitors as they try to get themselves back into this. Rodrigo Muniz and Timothy Castagne make way. That goal may just have knocked the stuffing out of Fulham. They are looking a bit ragged now, and Estevao is starting to get some space to do his thing. He dances down the right, cuts inside, and tries to squeeze the ball in at the near post. But Bernd Leno denies the youngster. Look, these days Ryan Sessegnon's arm positioning means that it was always going to get given - not that it's right. Come on, though. .. he is so close to Trevoh Chalobah and his arms are in a natural position. Also, Joao Pedro handled it first! ! That's the bit I can't get over. How can he be allowed to handle it like that and it not matter? ? Enzo Fernandez makes no mistake from the spot. The Argentine doubles Chelsea's lead in yet more controversial circumstances as he slams the ball down the middle. Fulham fans sing '2-0 to the referee' as the Blues celebrate. When it's not your day, it's not your day. Fulham have another VAR decision go against them as VAR awards Chelsea a penalty. Rob Jones seems to look at it for ages, which says everything really. .. I mean, the ball actually hits Joao Pedro's hand first, so I have no idea why this is being given. Where is the consistency? Brutal, just brutal. Now this really would be rubbing salt into the wounds. .. VAR are checking a potential handball from Ryan Sessegnon, but this would be so harsh if given. Trevoh Chalobah fires the ball at Sessegnon from close range, but the full-back's arms are out as he turns his back. But does Joao Pedro handball it before Sessegnon? It's all happening! Fulham have started this half looking like they mean business. The visitors were by far the better side in the first half before the sucker punch, and they are right back on the front foot. Rodrigo Muniz heads wide after a lovely move, and really, he should do a bit better. Positive signs, though. Well, that break went quickly. Marco Silva's rant at the ref must have come to an end because his players are back out, and so are Chelsea. I wonder how long he spoke to Rob Jones for? Anyway, we are back underway here at Stamford Bridge. Marco Silva really has a lot to feel aggrieved about, I have to say. The more I watch Josh King's disallowed goal, the more I can't understand why VAR would rule it out. Rodrigo Muniz turns brilliantly and wins the ball, catching Trevoh Chalobah in the process. I mean, this is meant to be a contact sport, so surely that's OK. Well, it wasn't, and it's a real shame for both Fulham and young Josh King. Also, what was that wording from Rob Jones when he announced teh decision? Careless? You're telling me that a professional ref has watched that a silly amount of times and thinks it's careless? Poor choice of wording. Poor refereeing. Curtis Davies, former Hull City defender, on Radio 5 Live: I mean, it's hard to know where to start. I suppose we might as well start with the goal, as this is where things got really interesting before the break. Marco Silva is an emotional guy, but his reaction when this went in was another level. Not a happy bunny. Good corner and header, mind. Another for Joao Pedro. Well, what a controversial end to the half. Marco Silva is still incensed, and as Rob Jones blows his whistle, he waits by the tunnel for him. But Jones tells Silva to head off down the tunnel, which to be fair to the Fulham boss, he does. I reckon in teh tunnel, though, he is giving Jones hell. Ohhhhhh. .. . If Marco Silva was angry before, he has not hit a new level. The Fulham boss looks like he could explode. As the clock ticks past the eight added minutes and into the ninth, Joao Pedro heads Chelsea ahead against the run of play. And to add insult to injury, the 'abysmal' Enzo Fernandez supplies ot from a conrer. Sorry, Kieran, I had to. MASSIVE BLOCK! Oh my, take a bow, Moises Caicedo. Yet again, Chelsea need a player to dig them out as Caicedo slides in to make a goal-saving block just as Timothy Castagne is about to score. I'm not sure how the Blues aren't losing this game. .. Malo Gusto to the rescue. Chelsea are in a huge spot of bother as the ball drops to Josh King in the box, and he cocks his leg in preparation to pull the trigger. But just as he is about to, the leg of Gusto comes from nowhere to nick the ball from the Fulham forward. Blimey! There are going to be eight minutes of stoppage time here, most of it due to injuries and that VAR check. Oh my. .. how has that not gone in? Chelsea finally realise that they need to actually create some chance and fashion their first meaningful opportunity of the afternoon. Enzo Fernndez whips in a gorgeous corner which lands on the head of Tosin Adarabioyo just three yards from goal. From my angle, the ball looks like it's going in, but somehow lands on the roof of the net. I am baffled. I've just watched the disallowed goal back and I really can't fathom how that has been disallowed. How can a bunch of referees watch that and think it's a foul? Rodrigo Muniz didn't have anywhere else where he could put his foot - it's a real shocker. I think that's the fastest I have ever seen a yellow card whipped out by a referee, my word. Moises Caicedo halts a Fulham counter and Jones turns into the Flash and gets out his yellow within what feels like a second. He was ready for that. The Fulham fans erupt in the away end as Rob Jones gives their side a free-kick. They then start singing 'we got a foul', which is rather funny. It's fair to say, the Cottagers in that corner are not Jones' biggest fans after that disallowed goal. Chelsea are stinking out the Bridge right now, you could probably smell them all the way from Craven Cottage. Honestly, the Blues just can't get going. It's mental that one week they can batter a team in their own backyard, and the next barely string two passes together. Football, eh? Robert Sanchez, that is huge. The Chelsea goalkeeper gets his fair share of flak, but he has just kept his side level with a big save. Rodrigo Muniz gets on the end of a cross six yards out and blasts the ball at goal, it seems destined for the net. But Sanchez somehow manages to deny him from point-blank range. The flag has now gone up, but Sanchez doesn't know he's off, does he? What a response that would have been. Josh King already seems to have shrugged off his disappointment and he's going right back at the Chelsea backline. He drills the ball toward the bottom corner, but this time, Robert Sanchez is equal to it. Fulham are all over Chelsea here. Oh no. .. Josh King's special moment has been ruined as VAR disallows his opener, and that feels harsh. Referee Rob Jones says that Rodrigo Muniz put in a 'careless' challenge on Trevoh Chalobah in the lead up to the goal. I mean, it's not careless. .. he accidentally trod on his toes. WHAT A MOMENT! Academy graduate Josh King scores his first Fulham goal, and what a team to score against. Sander Berge slides him through, he races away, cuts back, and then rolls the ball past Robert Sanchez. But hang on, VAR is taking a look at it. OK, OK, that's a little bit better. Somebody must have told Alex Iwobi I was bored because he has just injected some life into the match. Obviously, that's a joke, I'm not that self-centred. Iwobi picks the ball up deep and goes on a marauding run before just deciding to have a pop. It's a decent low effort, but it rolls wide. It looks like Tyrique George will be up top - interesting. I hope he can inject some energy into this game because it's been pretty dead so far. They aren't giving me a lot of material. .. This is a real blow for Enzo Maresca and Chelsea. Liam Delap can't continue and he looks gutted - I suspect he may be out for a while. The striker is replaced by winger Tyrique George, so I suspect that Joao Pedro will now go up top. Or maybe he will be striker. .. we will see. Kieran is bang on, the Fulham fans are having a brilliant time in the corner. They are singing nonstop and are the only reason there is any atmosphere. Oh, but that's not good. The Fulham fans are cheering again, but this time it's because Liam Delap seems to have pulled his hamstring after chasing a long ball. He looks in a real spot of bother here. .. Now that is some lovely football. Chelsea shows just how good they are by threading some lovely passes together before Liam Delap has a dig. .. but his effort is blocked. Then they show that they are there to get at. Fulham fly forward and surprisingly the ball ends up with Joachim Anderson in the box (I don't know why he is there either). The defender shows why he plays where he does and he bends one miles high and wide. Stick to defending, Joachim. Now that would have been a calamitous opener. .. Fulham are nearly the architects of their own downfall as they faff about with the ball at teh back and end up giving it away. Joao Pedro drills the ball toward the bottom corner as he tries to catch Bernd Leno out quickly, but the German handles it easily. The atmosphere, by the way, is pants now. Sasa Lukic just can't help himself. The Fulham midfielder loves a challenge and after Marc Cucurella foils a Fulham counter, he cleans him out. I'm not quite sure how, but he avoids a yellow. Maybe it's just because the game is still early doors. Not that it should matter. .. I forgot that Tosin Adarabioyo used to play for Fulham. .. (not great considering it's my job to know this stuff). Well, I have just been reminded by the fact that the away end are booing his every touch. Didn't realise they cared that much, but then again, I did forget he played for them in the past. And off we go. .. Cole Palmer is watching from the bench in a huge puffer coat and some snazzy joggers as this game gets underway. He doesn't look buxxing to be here, mind. But when does he ever. For a lunchtime kick-off, this is a decent atmosphere. Normally fans are still half asleep in the stands at this time of day, but those in Stamford Bridge are having a right old sing-song. The players have come out of the tunnel and are greeted by a roar and some pyro. If fans weren't awake before, that bang will have done the job. How long they keep these noise levels up is yet to be seen. Enzo Maresca, Chelsea manager, on TNT Sports: We are all Liam Delap right now, aren't we? Just look at the young striker, he is buzzing that kick-off is now less than 10 minutes away. I, for one, am just itching for this game to get going. I wish we could fast-forward life and skip to the game, but that's not how things work, sadly. Well, we are nearly there. Warm ups have been wrapped. Forget Alejandro Garnacho, Willy Wonka is on the house! I have no idea why he is here, but megastar actor Timothee Chalamet has rocked up to Stamford Bridge. is he a Chelsea fan? What he is not a fan of, though, is being recognised. .. going by the fact he has sunglasses, a cap, and a hood up. We can still spot you, though, Bob. .. I mean, Timothee. Karen Carney, former Lionesses star, on TNT Sports: I told you Alejandro Garnacho was here. For those of you who didn't believe me, here is footage of the son to be Blue at Stamford Bridge. Guess that means he won't be playing for Man United at 3pm. .. While one Chelsea striker thrives, the man he replaced seems closer to the exit door than ever. It has been reported that Nicolas Jackson is close to sealing a loan move to Bayern Munich with an option to buy for £56. 2m at the end of the season. A lot of money, right? Well, the maddest part of this deal is that there is a world record £13m loan fee. .. I really don't know how Chelsea do it, it's just mental. You have to feel for Jackson. The lad was meant to be the second coming of Didier Drogba for Chelsea and he showed a lot of promise during his two years at the club. But some things just aren't meant to be. Joao Pedro has been on an absolute tear since joinig Chelsea. Honestly, I knew he would be a good signing for them, but I didn't quite realise how good. Pedro has been involved in six goals in his last four games in all competitions for Chelsea (4 goals, 2 assists), with four goals in four starts for the Blues. In the Premier League era since 1992-93, only three players have scored 5+ goals in their first five starts in all competitions for them – Diego Costa in 2014 (7), Alvaro Morata in 2017 (5) and Tammy Abraham in 2019 (7). Can he make it four? Marco Silva, Fulham manager, speaking on Friday: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, former Chelsea striker, speaking to OLBG: Well, I guess that means its done. I am hearing reports that Alejandro Garnacho is here at Stamford Bridge and will watch today's derby. That can only mean one thing, can't it? The deal is done. The £40m move from Manchester United has been agreed, but there has been no confirmation at the time of writing. But maybe the Blues will do an Arsenal and introduce him to the crowd like the Gunners did for Eberechi Eze. I mean, it would be a different vibe, but still fun. This derby has not been kind to Fulham in the past. I imagine that most Cottagers making the short walk to Stamford Bridge will have some pretty pants memories from previous years flashing through their minds. OK, maybe not, but I am just trying to set the scene. However, things were a little different last season. Fulham won this exact fixture 2-1 last season, ending a 21-game winless streak away to Chelsea in all competitions. They’ve never won consecutive visits to Stamford Bridge in their history. Can they change that today? Chris Sutton, former Chelsea striker, on BBC Sport: There is something in the air today. Fulham have also decided to stick with the same side that played last week, when they drew with Manchester United. Emile Smith-Rowe has to put up with the bench again despite scoring the all-important equaliser against the Red Devils. Why change a winning formula, eh? Chelsea battered West Ham last week and Enzo Maresca has gone with the same side that did the damage that day. That means that there is no Cole Palmer. I don't think we will be seeing him at Notting Hill this weekend, though (if you know, you know). By Harry Bamforth Wakey, wakey, everybody. .. derby day is here. Both Chelsea and Fulham have arrived at Stamford Bridge and there is a buzz in the air. The difference in attitude from the two sides was interesting to watch when they arrived. The Blues players seemed very relaxed while the visitors looked like they were ready for war. Anyway, now it's time to find out the team news. By Harry Bamforth Not another one? London derbies are just non-stop these days. I have them coming out of my ears, and so do Chelsea. This is their third one on the bounce since the start of the season. All London derbies are personal and local, but this one is even closer to home. There is just a solitary mile - a 15-minute walk - between Stamford Bridge and Craven Cottage. Chelsea and Fulham may not be the biggest of rivalries, but it's a proper local derby. It's a great way to start another weekend of Premier League footie and I, for one, can't wait for it to get cracking. Let's get this show on the road then, shall we? Can these idiots not read the room.

A woman expert. ..

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