Fulham claimed bragging rights in the west London derby with a hard-fought victory over 10-man Chelsea at Craven Cottage, as Harry Wilson’s late strike sealed a dramatic win.
Newly appointed Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior watched from the stands as his side endured a difficult afternoon, one that began to unravel early when Marc Cucurella was shown a red card.
Although Rosenior was not officially in charge, he witnessed Chelsea reduced to 10 men in the 22nd minute after Cucurella was sent off for a professional foul on Wilson.
Fulham broke the deadlock in the 55th minute when Raul Jimenez rose to head home, capitalising on sustained pressure. Chelsea briefly clawed their way back into the contest as Liam Delap equalised from close range, reacting quickest after a corner struck the post following an attempted clearance by Antonee Robinson that nearly resulted in an own goal.
With nine minutes remaining, Wilson delivered the decisive moment. He outwitted Jorrel Hato with a clever touch inside the box before firing a half-volley into the bottom left corner beyond Robert Sanchez.
Chelsea, led on the touchline by caretaker manager Calum McFarlane, struggled to cope after going a man down. The dismissal was their eighth red card across all competitions this season, including one shown to former manager Enzo Maresca for over-celebrating a dramatic win over Liverpool in October.
Frustration spilled into the stands, with supporters unfurling a “BlueCo Out” banner and directing chants at the club’s ownership, as Rosenior looked on.
The defeat leaves Chelsea eighth in the Premier League on 31 points, level with Fulham, who closed the gap by claiming all three points at Craven Cottage.



