Fulham 0-1 Chelsea: 5 Talking points as Mason Mount's late strike gives Blues the win
Chelsea secured a narrow win over West London rivals Fulham in their Premier League fixture on Saturday. Mason Mount's 78th-minute strike was the only goal in what was yet another sluggish performance from the Blues.
Fulham were reduced to 10 men after Antonee Robinson's dismissal in the 44th minute for a rash challenge on César Azpilicueta. The hosts held their own in the first half but the numerical disadvantage became apparent as Chelsea started pushing them on the backfoot after the restart.
Frank Lampard's men only have their own wastefulness in front of the goal to blame for their failure to find the back of the net. They could only score one goal from their 21 attempts on goal.
Mason Mount was Chelsea's savior again as he struck a ball palmed away by Alphonse Areola on the volley in the 78th minute to put the visitors ahead.
Timo Werner, who came on as a substitute in the 75th minute, missed a golden chance to double their lead, as he sent his shot away from the target after finding himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Here we take a look at the five talking points from Chelsea's first win in their last four Premier League outings.
#5 Chelsea secure a late win in the league yet again
Chelsea have made a habit of scoring late goals in the Premier League this season. Mount's 78th-minute goal was their 11th goal scored in the final 15 minutes of the game, more than any other side has scored in the top flight this term.
What this means is that The Blues have now scored a third of their goals in the 2020-21 campaign in the final 15 minutes of the game.
Well, scoring late winners is always a wonderful feeling but leaving it late in every single game does not bode for the side, who are now four points behind a top four spot.
#4 Mason Mount showcases his class
Mason Mount had a brilliant outing against Fulham. He was the best player on the pitch by a mile. He was also one of the busiest players in the game and laid out as many as seven key passes for his teammates.
He completed 91% of his passes and also registered four shots on target.
The midfielder has made 17 appearances for Chelsea this term but has just two goals and three assists to show for his playtime.
He showed his brilliant finishing skill with a sweetly hit volley and rewarded manager Lampard's faith in him with a match-winning performance.
Also See: 10 highest-paid players in the Serie A this season (2020/21)
#3 Frank Lampard needs a reliable striker to lead the lineup
Chelsea recorded 21 shots against Fulham tonight, though only six of them were on target. Olivier Giroud started ahead of Timo Werner but the veteran striker failed to provide the final touch in front of the goal.
Even when the hosts were reduced to 10 men, the visitors continued to struggle in the final third. Though Pulisic provided a lot of width and pace going forward, the passes were not up to the mark.
With 70% possession, we expected them to put the game to bed sooner than Mount's goal. This wastefulness in the final third might be a problem as they travel to Leicester in the next league outing.
#2 Fulham fought hard despite going down to 10 men
A straight red card to Fulham wing-back Antonee Robinson was probably the biggest turning point in the game. The high-boot challenge on Azpilicueta was reckless on Robinson's part but some might suggest that it was only a yellow card offense.
Nonetheless, the hosts showed character in not letting the sending off dictate how the rest of the game panned out. They kept themselves in the game for as long as possible, defending well and attacking the counter whenever possible.
They were unlucky to concede a goal in the 78th minute as a save from Areola fell kindly for an unmarked Mount.
Robinson had been their best attacking outlet and his dismissal put a dent in whatever hopes they had to play out a fifth consecutive draw in the league.
#1 Chelsea record sixth consecutive win over their London rivals
Chelsea maintained their brilliant record against Fulham with yet another win in this West London derby. It was their sixth consecutive victory against the Cottagers in the Premier League.
The Blues have only lost one of their 29 league meetings with Fulham and are unbeaten in their last 19 Premier League meetings.
Though it was not a very impressive performance from the five-time champions, they return home with three points from the game.
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Sankalp Srivastava