Chelsea’s unbeaten 12-game streak came to a shocking end with a 2-1 Premier League loss to Fulham at Stamford Bridge. Two late goals from substitutes Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz secured Fulham’s first away victory against Chelsea since 1979, leaving Chelsea’s title aspirations in jeopardy.
Chelsea began strongly, with Cole Palmer opening the scoring in style. Receiving the ball 40 yards out, Palmer skillfully turned away from Andreas Pereira and Sasa Lukic, gliding into the box before slotting the ball through Issa Diop’s legs and into the corner of Bernd Leno’s goal. This marked Palmer’s 26th league goal in 2024, surpassing Chelsea’s calendar-year record set by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 2001.
Fulham earn their first-ever Premier League away win at Chelsea in dramatic fashion 😅#CHEFUL pic.twitter.com/q6nYOF8skA
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 26, 2024Despite Chelsea’s dominant first-half performance, Fulham turned the game around in the final 10 minutes. Timothy Castagne’s header set up Harry Wilson for an equalizer in the 82nd minute. Deep into stoppage time, Lukic’s powerful run and Rodrigo Muniz’s composed finish sealed the victory for Fulham, leaving Chelsea stunned.
The defeat keeps Chelsea in second place, four points behind leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand. Fulham’s win boosts them to eighth, level on points with champions Manchester City, and within a point of fifth-placed Newcastle, strengthening their European ambitions.
Fulham boss Marco Silva praised his team’s resilience, stating:
“It is a privilege to give our fans this happiness. Our substitutes have been pivotal, as seen again today.”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca reiterated that the young side still lacks the maturity to sustain a title challenge. Cole Palmer, reflecting on the loss, admitted:
“We were in control but lost focus in the second half. Fulham capitalized, and we paid the price.”
