1-0 down, 2-1 up: Could Chelsea’s stunning late win at Fulham have saved the Blues’ faltering season?
- By Kaz Mochlinski
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
Fulham (1) 1 v Chelsea (0) 2
Premier League
Matchweek 33
Talking Points
By Kaz Mochlinski at Craven Cottage
‘One-Nil Down Two-One Up’ was a popular Arsenal fanzine at the height of supporters producing publications about their clubs, just before and after the establishment of the Premier League.
Instead of chronicling events in N5, it would be more suitable this season for SW6, where Fulham and Chelsea have swapped a pair of league results perfectly described by the fanzine’s famous title.
Rarely can two home and away West London derby matches have proved so potentially pivotal to the outcomes of their entire seasons for both the Cottagers and the Blues.
And even more unusually the games at Craven Cottage and Stamford Bridge each followed an almost identical pattern, with the visitors trailing 1-0 at half-time before eventually winning 2-1.
Chelsea took the lead at home in the 16th minute but were beaten by goals in the 82nd and 95th. Fulham remarkably reversed that by the riverside, going ahead in the 20th but succumbing to strikes in the 84th and 93rd minutes.
Maybe it was something to do with the scheduling, as the parallels persist in both the meetings this season occurring during the two great annual Christian feasts, of Christmas and Easter.
Fulham’s prayers for a late miracle were answered on Boxing Day, and it was the Chelsea players’ turn to sink to their knees in thanks and relief at the epic turn-around that they achieved on Easter Sunday.
Until this latest dramatic recovery, 2-1 must have been the Blues’ least popular score of the present campaign - and conversely by far and away the Cottagers’ favourite result recently.
In addition to the historic victory at the Bridge, Fulham had unforgettably beaten Brentford with two Harry Wilson strikes in stoppage time, as well as winning at Newcastle United, again 2-1 on each occasion.
Chelsea had been knocked out of the FA Cup earlier this year at Brighton & Hove Albion and also humiliatingly lost to Legia Warszawa in their last match by the same scoreline, the latter an undoubted low point in their year.
Admittedly, in February Chelsea overcame West Ham United 2-1 after trailing 1-0 at half-time - just as they managed at Fulham - with Pedro Neto making one of several crucial contributions this season.
Levelling the game against West Ham followed Neto’s equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw with Arsenal in November, both at Stamford Bridge. However, neither was as vital as getting the winner in front of the Hammersmith End to break Fulham hearts.
For the Portuguese winger personally it ended a run of seven matches without a goal - and means too that in 2025 Neto is now the top scorer in the Premier League among all of Chelsea’s forwards with three.
Being 1-0 down but finishing 2-1 up at the Cottage might even save the Blues’ season.
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