(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Chelsea - Fulham

A West London derby date at Stamford Bridge is full and visit in the Blues final game before Chelsea's winter break. Both these sides were in League Cup semi-final action this week. Chelsea have had an extra 24 hours preparation time ahead of today's meeting and come into the match looking to extend their fine recent home record. Today, Maurizio Pochettino's men aim to record a fourth straight league win here, something Chelsea haven't managed on home soil Chelsea get a 10 day breather after today. The aim is to go into that pause with some momentum. Maurizio Pochettino makes one change from the side that started at Middlesbrough on Tuesday. Armando Breuer comes in for Noni Madueke. There are welcome returns to the squad for Ben Chilwell, Benoit Badia-Shiel and Karni Chukwemeka, who were named amongst the substitutes. Fulham show three changes to the side who lost to Liverpool on Wednesday. Kenny Tete starts ahead of Timothy Castagna at right back. Harrison Reid, who's been struggling with illness, drops to the bench, along with Bobby de Cordova-Reid. Tom Cairney and Harry Wilson are giving starts. Willian returns to the ground that he graced so often whilst wearing blue. Well done, Enzo Fernandez. Caicedo on for Sterling. Having a run at tossing. We try to thread the needle there and pick out Breuer through the legs of the Fulham defenders. It's a terrible clearance straight to Colwell. Here's Fernandez, declined the opportunity to shoot, gave it to Palmer. He's found Gallagher. Connor Gallagher on his left foot. He says there was a deflection. Anthony Taylor feels otherwise. Getting closer to that first goal of the season, the Chelsea skipper. Yeah, it's a bad mistake here from Diop, but it's a really good pass. Enzo Fernandez, then the awareness of Palmer. I love that one touch. Really clever. It has to be sharp, has to be nice and incisive. And Gallagher, I think it's a good effort, actually, just trying to arc it towards that top right hand corner. Just a little bit too much elevation. Inside here, Enzo Fernandez. Decent cross as well. An attack really well by Armando Breuer. Can't miss by much that. Good move from Chelsea. Breuer almost heading in here for the second game in succession. That's great awareness from Breuer. He recognizes that the ball is a little under Enzo Fernandez's feet. He's not going to be able to get that to the far post. Just clips it near post. Great movement. He doesn't miss by much. Here's Willian. Robinson put it in first time into a great area. There's Harry Wilson. Good save from Petrovic. Well, that's the closest we've come to a goal so far in the game. Yeah, it's a good chance. I think he does the right thing. Harry Wilson just trying to squeeze it in at the near post. Didn't get too much power in the strike. Palmer, cutting infield. Could go for goal, can he? Oh, it's brilliant for Sterling. Sterling, was he clipped there? Certainly looked like it. Penalty. Piece of magic from Cole Palmer to find Raheem Sterling, who suckered in Issa Diop and Chelsea get a spot kick right at the end of the first half. Yeah, we have to say Diop in possession has not been great for Fulham in this first half. Gets himself into a mess defensively. Yeah, he has a kick at Sterling. He's trying to play the ball with that right foot. Gets done by a brilliant dummy. I think this contact. Palmer versus Leno. Probably the last kick of the first half. 1-0 Chelsea. Did you ever doubt it? It's what he does, Cole Palmer. Perfection from the penalty spot from Ice-Cole Palmer once more. Chelsea 1 Fulham 0. Bang on halftime. Breakthrough made by the player of the season for the Blues thus far. Well, it's great that he gets his reward for one of the passes of the half and no doubt at all with a penalty kick, he sticks it away once more with a plumb. Here's Palmer. Want to get him on the ball as much as possible. Gusteau. Palmer. Chance to bend one. Wouldn't put it past him, would you? He's annoyed with himself that he hasn't tested Leno there. Brilliant pass from Enzo Fernandes into Gallagher at the start of that attack. Now Sterling on the turn. Chelsea can get on the front foot here. Sterling can use his pace to effect. Running at Tosin. Looking for Breuer. Did well to get there. Fernandes. Well, great ball, Raheem Sterling off the post and the flag stayed down and then Gusteau walloped it miles away from the goal. Well, be interesting to see whether he was level here, Sterling. Looked like he was possibly a yard offside. Chelsea's passing has been good so far in the second half. Gallagher. Gusteau. Well, great ball, Breuer. Any sort of touch there and Leno's struggling in the end. Tosin's able to kick it behind for a corner. That's a real shame. Doesn't get anything on the ball at all, I don't think. It's a great bit of movement. Again, he's worked this run really well, really intelligently a couple of times this afternoon. Great ball in. Loads of pace on that delivery. It just needs to be helped on its way. Palmer. Oh, that's magnificent. What skill. Gusteau up there with him. Oh, and cut back for Sterling in the middle. He couldn't quite get the touch. Palmer's floater. Difficult for Leno and Breuer at the back stick. Couldn't turn it in. Chelsea getting closer to the second goal, which would make everybody breathe a little more comfortably. Yeah, he moved it nice and quickly down the right hand side. Brilliant from Palmer. Gusteau played him perfectly. And I think Sterling would believe he scored there. Tete comes from behind him and makes an exceptional challenge. Palmer just couldn't get that to its intended target. Brilliant from Thiago Silva. Was he fouled there by Robinson? Play goes on with Madhuake on the ball. Madhuake to the byline. It's going to break here for Levi Colwell. It would not be the play that Chelsea would have selected that chance to fall to the big defender. No, he didn't look quite right there as he wound up on his right foot. Good play. Positive. Oh, that's a lovely ball from Robinson for Pereira. Deco Devereed's got all sorts of space. If he can find him. Pereira hanging on to it. Oh, he managed to get the cut back as well. And Petrovic makes the save to deny Jimenez. Slip from Enzo Fernandez. Nearly costly. Madhuake, took quickly by Gusteau. Madhuake, twinkle toes. Managed to get the cross in. Cleared as far as Gallagher. Oh, off the post. Desperately unlucky. Really good effort. Spam with the outside of his boot. And still it won't go in for Conor Gallagher. Palmer on the ball for Chelsea. Can they settle the game here? Conor Gallagher invited to keep going forward. Madhuake. Space for a shot for Noni Madhuake. Oh, it's a good save from Bert Leno. That looked like it was bound for the bottom corner. A clever effort. I think defender and goalkeeper think he's going to flash that towards the far post. So to reverse it, I think it was the right idea. Unfortunately, Leno can extend that left arm to make the save. And Willian sends it in. And Petrovic stayed at home. And it's loose. Deco Devereed. Then Tosin tried to have a go. Only cleared as far as Canny. Great block, Enzo. And then Alfie Gilchrist wallops it away and up to safety. Willian clips it to the back post. Headed down. Di Zazie in there. Madhuake trying to get it away. Canny turning it back in. Still, it's not clear. Goalkeeper stays at home. Gallagher gets something on it. Can Madhuake get it clear? There's the final whistle. Chelsea have done it. A derby double over Fulham. Boy, that was hard work. Fulham pressed hard at the end. But Chelsea get a clean sheet and a victory. That Palmer penalty right at the end of the first half was enough to get the job done in the end. Sam, we've had a few false dawns, but this feels like a big, big victory. Yeah, it's been a brilliant month or so here. Some different types of performances. Today was all about team ethic, I think. Defensive resilience towards the tail end. But some real positives. Cole Palmer, again, outstanding. Rightly, he's the match winner. But those two players in the picture there, Chuck Wemeke and Chilwell, that will be a big relief to the manager to have them available once more. And, yeah, optimism, looking ahead, a nice opportunity to recharge now. Some cut fixes to look forward to, then a colossal game up against Liverpool. But the turnaround certainly underway here in front of their own supporters. It's been a really good few weeks for Chelsea. Four wins in a row in the Premier League at home for the first time since 2020. The first time Chelsea have won their opening home league game of a calendar year since 2016. Palmer's poised from the penalty spot. The difference again. Final score on derby day, Chelsea 1, Fulham 0.