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Chelsea beat Fulham 2-0 in controversial derby to go top of Premier League

Chelsea claimed a 2-0 victory over Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but the result was marred by a string of contentious refereeing decisions that left visiting boss Marco Silva visibly frustrated.

Fulham thought they had taken the lead in the first half when youngster Josh King found the net, only for VAR to disallow the strike after Rodrigo Muniz was adjudged to have stamped on Trevoh Chalobah in the buildup.

The setback grew worse for Silva’s men when Chelsea went ahead in the ninth minute of stoppage time, one beyond the initial allocation, through Joao Pedro’s header from a corner.

Silva was seen remonstrating with referee Rob Jones over the added time.

The controversy didn’t end there. Early in the second half, VAR intervened again to award Chelsea a penalty after Ryan Sessegnon was penalised for a handball.

Enzo Fernandez converted from the spot to double the Blues’ advantage.

Despite Fulham’s efforts to fight back, they were unable to overcome the two-goal deficit.

‘So Good’ – Palmer hails two Chelsea new signings

Cole Palmer has praised Chelsea’s summer signings, singling out Joao Pedro and Liam Delap as standout additions while insisting the Blues “should be winning trophies” this season under Enzo Maresca.

After a turbulent spell midway through last campaign, Maresca guided Chelsea to Champions League qualification, a Conference League triumph over Real Betis, and Club World Cup glory against Europe’s elite Paris Saint-Germain.

Those successes, Palmer believes, have raised expectations at Stamford Bridge.

“Yeah, definitely,” Palmer told NBC Sports when asked if the pressure had increased after becoming world champions.

“The way the club’s going, the direction, everyone’s excited. We should be winning trophies.”

Among the £250m worth of arrivals, Palmer says he has already developed strong chemistry with Pedro, who joined from Brighton in a £60m deal.

“He’s so good, man. I love playing with him,” Palmer said. “Even in training we just have good chemistry and know where each other are going to be. To see it in person was really good.”

Palmer also backed Delap, signed from Ipswich Town for £30m, to offer Chelsea a different attacking option.

“He’s something different… more old-school, aggressive, runs in behind. He’s a handful for defenders and one of the best finishers I’ve seen,” Palmer said. “Hopefully those two together score some goals between them.”

Chelsea, who opened their Premier League campaign with a goalless draw against Crystal Palace, face West Ham and Fulham in back-to-back London derbies later this month.

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