Chelsea secured a dramatic 2-1 victory away to Fulham on Sunday in the Premier League. Alex Iwobi opened the scoring for the hosts in the first half. Much like the reverse fixture, the away side turned it around with two late goals, one coming deep into injury time, as Tyrique George and Pedro Neto found the net for the Blues. Here are the positives and negatives from the match:
Positives
1. George sparks Chelsea into life
Chelsea looked lackluster for much of the match. Nicolas Jackson, who started up front, was particularly poor. Even when crosses or through balls were delivered into the box, the forward appeared stationary instead of attacking them.
This also affected the efforts of his teammates, there’s only so much players are willing to do if their striker is showing a lack of interest. He has been one of the main culprits for the team having such a poor run since mid-December.
However, the mood changed in the 78th minute when young Tyrique George is introduced. The absence of Christopher Nkunku from the matchday squad opened the door for George to get a run-in. The academy graduate brought hunger and desire to Chelsea's performance. He chased down balls even when the odds were against him, a level of commitment that gave the away fans renewed energy.
Soon, George made a real impact. When the ball fell to him, he showed no hesitation, something that can’t be said about many of Chelsea's players. The result was the 19-year-old's first Premier League goal. His urgency and conviction rubbed off on his teammates and lifted the entire team. It also put Fulham in backfoot as before the goal they looked very comfortable in keeping the opposition out.
2. A winner worth waiting for
It took a while for the Blues to get going, but George’s introduction proved the turning point. After his goal, the match could still have gone either way, but his influence clearly changed the mood and intent of the side in the London derby.
The winner came after a neat interplay between Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo, with the Argentine driving the ball forward and then combining with Cole Palmer before releasing Pedro Neto. Instead of overplaying or waiting for the perfect moment, a frequent criticism of Chelsea’s attack, Neto, after a clever turn, fired in a rocket to seal the win. It was a fantastic finish.
It wasn't a pretty performance overall, but a late push gave Chelsea their first away win since early December. The result also denied Fulham a league double over their West London rivals. More of this spirit will be needed if Chelsea are to break into the top five by the end of the season.
Negatives
1. The sluggish start is still a worry
Before the two goals, Chelsea’s performance was poor, which is very much in line with how they’ve played in recent months. The team lacked energy and purpose. However, due to Fulham’s pressing, Chelsea were at least spared their usual ineffective passing around the back. Still, despite the spaces that Fulham’s pressing should have left behind, Chelsea didn’t attempt to exploit them due to their rigid tactics and system.
Before Tyrique George was introduced, the players looked as though they had accepted the result. Even consistent performers like Cole Palmer and Reece James are well below the standards fans have come to expect. Nicolas Jackson, who needed to step up, was especially poor throughout the game. He hasn’t scored in four months and didn’t look like someone desperate to change that, much to the frustration of supporters.
2. A step forward, but concerns remain
After Monday’s results, Chelsea sit sixth in the table. While the win was an important one, their overall form doesn’t reflect a team capable of finishing inside the top five and securing a Champions League spot.
Just three points separate Nottingham Forest in third from Aston Villa in seventh, so mathematically, everything is still possible for Chelsea. However, performances will need to drastically improve if they are to make that possibility a reality. Among the teams in the run, Chelsea have perhaps the toughest run of matches.