Fulham secured a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the West London derby at Craven Cottage, marking a tough debut for new manager Liam Rosenior. Despite playing with 10 men after Marc Cucurella's early red card, Chelsea equalized before Harry Wilson's late winner clinched the points for the hosts.
The match on January 7, 2026, at Craven Cottage kicked off at 19:30 GMT, with interim manager Calum McFarlane leading Chelsea for the final time before Liam Rosenior's arrival. Rosenior, appointed on a six-and-a-half-year contract the previous day, observed from the stands as his team started in fifth place in the Premier League after a 1-1 draw at Manchester City.
Chelsea threatened early with Enzo Fernandez's corners causing problems for Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno, including Andrey Santos hitting the crossbar. However, the game shifted in the 22nd minute when Cucurella received a red card for denying Harry Wilson a goalscoring opportunity outside the box. Tosin Adarabioyo, Fernandez, Cole Palmer, and Fulham manager Marco Silva were also booked, with Silva set to miss the next game.
Jorrel Hato replaced Santos to bolster the defense, and Chelsea held firm until halftime, surviving a disallowed Wilson goal for offside after a VAR review. Fulham took the lead in the 52nd minute as Raul Jimenez headed in Sander Berge's delivery, overpowering Robert Sanchez.
Liam Delap leveled the score with his first Premier League goal for Chelsea, hooking home from a Fernandez corner rebound. But Fulham regained the advantage in the 81st minute when Wilson controlled a rebound from Emile Smith-Rowe's shot and volleyed past Sanchez through Reece James's legs.
Fulham, who had drawn with Liverpool in their previous match thanks to Harrison Reed's late goal, extended their strong form with three wins and two draws in their last five league games. Chelsea, meanwhile, have seen three or more goals in each of their last four matches, though they have won only one of the last five against Fulham.
