February 04, (THEWILL) – The expensively assembled Chelsea squad was unable to secure victory in their west London derby against Fulham, ending in a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge, on Friday.
The Blues started several new high-priced additions, including Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk, but it was the tactical prowess of Fulham that led to the stalemate. Despite controlling possession, Chelsea struggled to create clear goalscoring opportunities, with Havertz and Mount coming closest to scoring.
Fulham also had several chances, with Bobby Decordova-Reid and Andreas Pereira, both testing Chelsea goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga. At the start of the second half, Chelsea continued to dominate possession, but it was Fulham, who came close to finding the back of the net through Pereira, Palhinha and Decordova-Reid.
Chelsea nearly scored from a gift, but David Fofana’s finish was blocked on the line by Fulham skipper, Tim Ream. As the game progressed, substitutions from both teams disrupted the flow of the match and Chelsea were unable to mount a late surge. The draw lifts Fulham to sixth in the table, while Chelsea is in ninth.
Despite the disappointing outcome, the Chelsea squad demonstrated their talent and potential, while Fulham showed they can compete and rub shoulders with the top teams in the league.
