Exploiting Fulham's Structural Weaknesses
The visitor's structural downside became evident early in the game when the Blues created a chance after bypassing the frontline press. In one instance, Traore got his pressing angle wrong, which opened the passing lane from Tosin Adarabioyo to Cucurella. Cucurella then found Jadon Sancho, who cut inside and delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty box.
Fulham were prepared for such situations. Although it did not always help mitigate Chelsea from creating chances, they still had a plan.
— Fahd (@fahdahmed987) December 26, 2024
The nearest midfielder in the second line of pressure would shift to the free Chelsea no.8, with the rest of the members consisting the second… pic.twitter.com/5u69tqMTlp
Fulham were prepared for such situations, though. While their approach did not completely prevent Chelsea from creating chances, they had a contingency plan. The nearest midfielder in the second line of pressure would shift to mark the free Chelsea No. 8, with the rest of the midfielders adjusting their positions. However, this shift left the opposite No. 8 free. Additionally, Fulham’s narrow out-of-possession structure often isolated their wingers in one-on-one situations against the home side's fullbacks.
However, it's worth noting that this shift in the second line press was not always when the initial press failed. Rather, the Fulham wide men would occasionally look to press the Chelsea wide centre-backs.
— Fahd (@fahdahmed987) December 26, 2024
Additionally, the narrowness of the Fulham OOP system would leave wingers… pic.twitter.com/EdLKWpSDUw
Fulham's Pressing Dynamics
Fulham’s frontline press, while aggressive and well-drilled, involved a complex set of roles. The striker initially pressed the west London side's centre-back before curving his run to press the goalkeeper, cutting off passing options to Moises Caicedo.
Traore’s role varied; he initially sat off to deny central access but would later press the opposite centre-back. The right winger focused on marking the Blues' left-back. Fulham's No. 10s and midfielders further adapted, with some pressing higher when needed and others providing central coverage.
As for the rest of the team, the Fulham LWB would man-mark the Chelsea RB. The Fulham RWB would man-mark the LW. And then, the LCB would mark the Chelsea RW.
— Fahd (@fahdahmed987) December 26, 2024
The Fulham DM would then mark Palmer whilst the centre backs had a +1 on Jackson.
You can see this all in-action from… pic.twitter.com/nhgb0bwjzK
Defensively, the visitors also assigned man-marking roles. Their left wing-back marked Chelsea's right-back, the right wing-back marked Chelsea's left winger, and the left centre-back marked the right winger. The defensive midfielder stayed on Palmer while the centre-backs maintained a numerical advantage over Nicolas Jackson.
This pressing structure often forced Chelsea to work harder to build from the back. However, Fulham's passive mid-block approach contributed to Chelsea's opening goal. With Palmer cleverly roaming and finding pockets of space, a lapse in concentration was enough to capitalize brilliantly.