The highly anticipated West London derby between Fulham and Chelsea ended with a 2-0 victory for the latter, marking their first Premier League win since August.
Chelsea’s newest acquisition, Mykhailo Mudryk, played an important role in securing the win by scoring his first goal for the club.
The Ukrainian forward took control of Levi Colwill’s cross and elegantly placed the ball into the back of the net, showcasing his impressive skills.
Mudryk’s goal was followed by another from Armando Broja, who took advantage of Tim Ream’s attempted tackle to score only 20 seconds into the second half.
Chelsea’s victory was a much-needed boost for the team after a disappointing start to the season.
The Blues had not scored a single goal in the Premier League since their win against Luton on August 25th.
However, their persistent efforts and brilliant display of skills paid off as they secured three points against their local rivals.
Despite their victory, Chelsea’s win was not without its setbacks.
Both Mudryk and Broja were withdrawn from the game due to apparent injury problems.
In addition, Moises Caicedo was forced to leave the game in stoppage time due to an injury.
However, Pochettino played down these injuries and expressed his delight at the team’s victory, which takes them up to 11th place in the Premier League.
Chelsea’s victory was all the more impressive considering their depleted squad.
The team was without 11 players due to injuries or suspensions and had to drop Raheem Sterling to the bench due to a virus.
Despite these challenges, they started the game brightly and dominated the first half.
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In the second half, Fulham tried to muster a response but were unable to break through Chelsea’s defense.
The hosts managed to create a few half-chances for substitutes Alex Iwobi and Carlos Vinicius but only managed to carve out one clear opportunity, which was saved by Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez.
Speaking after the game, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino praised his team’s performance, stating that it was important for them to build their confidence and trust in themselves.
He also expressed his happiness for both Mudryk and Broja, who scored their first goals for the club.
Pochettino acknowledged that Mudryk’s progress in the team was a matter of adaptation and maturity.
He emphasized the importance of being patient with young players and trusting them to add value to the team.
Despite the team’s poor start to the season, Pochettino remained calm and positive, which helped the team to secure their much-needed victory.
Fulham boss Marco Silva, on the other hand, was disappointed with the team’s performance and felt that they were punished for their mistakes in the build-up to both goals.
He acknowledged that the team was not aggressive enough on and off the ball and did not bring the necessary dynamic to the game.
Silva also expressed his frustration with the team’s lack of confidence and inability to score their chances.
