Chelsea 1-2 Fulham: Cottagers stage stunning late comeback with goals from Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz to deal major blow to Blues' Premier League title hopes
Share:
English football had fixed its eyes on Stamford Bridge to salute its Man of the Year but its homage to Cole Palmer was ambushed by a stunning late fightback that gave Fulham their first win at the home of Chelsea since 1979. Palmer scored a stunning owner that seemed, for more than 80 minutes, as though it had won the game but late goals from substitutes Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz handed Chelsea their first league defeat since October 20.
![[The visitors had only restored parity in the 82nd minute when Harry Wilson nodded into the net from close range]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/26/16/93497861-14227569-image-a-4_1735231798958.jpg)
This 2-1 loss, after nine games without defeat, put a massive dent in their title challenge and handed the initiative even more decisively to Arne Slot’s Liverpool side. The truth is that Chelsea look overly reliant on Palmer’s creative spark. When he did not fire in the second half, Fulham were much the better team.
![[Cole Palmer's 12th Premier League goal of the season saw the Blues lead for the majority of the clash]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/26/15/93496447-0-image-a-2_1735227798635.jpg)
Let us not deny Palmer his moment, though. It was a goal to light up the finest Boxing Day traditions. If you know how good Palmer is, how special he is, then you could see it coming even amidst the desert of caution and carelessness that had marked the first quarter of an hour.
Levi Colwill advanced with the ball inside the Fulham half and saw that Palmer had drifted into a few feet of space. Colwill played the ball into him and Palmer took it on the half-turn and set off for goal. The rest felt inevitable. Palmer slipped past the challenge of Andreas Perreira and then evaded the challenge of Sasa Lukic as he tried in vain to dispossess him. Palmer never looked less than composed or less than sure he was about to score.
