Fulham

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Chelsea and Fulham.

Here are some of your comments:

Chelsea fans:

Sam: We can win with a bad performance at last. Not a good watch - VAR won the day. Better teams will be the test for us. No disrespect to a decent Fulham side, but teams better than them will walk over us if we play like this. What a contrast from the West Ham game.

Simon: Slow start again. Maresca really needs to sort this out. We should be coming out of the blocks strong and fast, otherwise we just make problems for ourselves. Got very, very lucky with the two decisions.

Gary: Chelsea have had plenty of atrocious and important decisions go against them in recent years. There never seems to be the same amount of outcry. Never a foul, but I agree with the penalty - regardless, it's 2-0...

Denwosu: I have said it before now that Chelsea need some weeks to get into real action. They are really going to be bullied by teams in the first four or five weeks of the current season, but when they eventually find their rhythm it will be difficult to stop them.

Fulham fans:

John: No way of winning with decisions made like that. A perfectly good first goal taken away from a talented young player. We desperately need strengthening in many positions. Bassey greatly overrated - should have risen with the player to stop the header. But, with decisions like the ones in this game, it is a game impossible to win.

Terry: Brilliant first half. Chelsea didn't know how to deal with us and looked a shadow of the team that thrashed West Ham last week. Once again, poor refereeing decisions cost us the game. Once the penalty went in, we never looked like getting back in the game, but at least we kept trying.

Steven: Josh King is going to be a major star. Controlled much of the game. Not bad for a kid.

Paddy: Were there two teams playing? I thought the result was officials 2 football 0.

Fulham thought they had taken a first-half lead against their London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King broke clear and sent a low finish past Robert Sanchez - but VAR Michael Salisbury spotted an earlier foul by Rodrigo Muniz on Trevoh Chalobah.

Muniz was judged to have stepped on Chalobah's foot while attempting to shield the ball from the Chelsea defender, with referee Robert Jones viewing the pitchside monitor before declaring to the crowd that Muniz's "careless challenge" had left the officials with no other option.

Many inside and outside Stamford Bridge disagreed, insisting that contact had been minimal and Muniz had never attempted to make a challenge in the first place.

Fulham's sense of injustice was compounded by Joao Pedro's opener in the ninth minute of stoppage time, after eight minutes had been indicated by the fourth official.

Former Fulham and England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC Sport: "I was really angry, not because it was Fulham but because I love football. Goals like that shouldn't be disallowed by complete accidents.

"They described it as a challenge, but there was no challenge for the ball - it was a bit of skill.

"I don't understand how you can watch football and referee football for that long and not understand certain dynamics. It was just a bizarre interpretation."

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• Tottenham 0-1 Bournemouth

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Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

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There were two sliding doors moments for Fulham.

One was what BBC Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy described as "the worst decision I've seen this season".

It was the baffling decision by the three officials, VAR Salisbury and his assistant Scott Ledger, that led to King's well-placed shot into the goal after an excellent counter-attack ruled out.

Fulham felt in the ascendancy and continued to play well after the decision.

But Joao Pedro's headed goal with the last touch of the first half, and Chelsea's opportunity to regroup at the interval, profoundly changed the game.

From that point, Chelsea regained control but Fulham will wonder how the match would have played out had the officials not denied them.

They could be celebrating a goal in a west London derby from an 18-year-old homegrown star - and potentially three points.

Instead they are without a win in their first three league matches and the mood is one of fury from manager Silva, who opted against criticising the officials in his post-match television interview to avoid any sanctions from the Premier League.

Marco Silva spoke to TNT Sports after Fulham's defeat against Chelsea: "For someone that loves football, as a manager, former player, as a fan. I feel sad, just that,

"It is clear it was a special game for everybody. It is the best competition in the world and I saw my team play outstanding football in the first half, we didn't come here to park the bus.

"So performance wise, outstanding first half but all the decisions from the VAR, from the referee, had massive impact on the game. And the second half was not at the level I like.

"How you disallow a goal like that is unbelievable. We have meetings with referee and people in charge,we all want to win. VAR is not here to re-referee the game it is to see clear things. It was not something unbelievable to disallow that goal.

"I would prefer not to say something more because I would be punished. I want to be on the touchline in next game, I don't want to be fined.

"But it has been a difficult start to the season with some decisions."

Josh King spoke to TNT Sports about his disallowed goal: "It's a hard feeling to describe. It was a tough decision. I think it was a perfectly good goal but we just have to pick ourselves up."

"That is the part of being a professional, decisions go against you and you have to bounce back. But it was tough to have a goal disallowed and concede just before half time."

"He [Marco Silva] is a really passionate person and that fires us up. We tired to work hard for each other, it was tough take because we deserved more. [Scoring] was one of the best feelings I have felt. Hopefully I can replicate it and it counts next time."

Did you know?

Having gone unbeaten in 10 consecutive Premier League London derbies between March and December 2024 (W5 D5), Fulham have since lost five of their last seven (W2).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Chelsea's performance

What did you make of Fulham's display?

Come back to this page on Sunday to find a selection of your replies

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham have confirmed midfielder Andreas Pereira has completed a move to Brazilian side Palmeiras.

The 29-year-old made 119 appearances across three seasons in West London, becoming the first Fulham player to earn a call-up to the Brazil national team.

"From the first day at Fulham, I felt at home," Pereira said. "Thank you to my team-mates, staff, and fans for every moment.

"After three years, I leave proud of what we achieved together. Fulham will always be part of me."

Chelsea are unchanged after their 5-1 win at West Ham last weekend.

Similarly, Fulham have the same starting eleven that started in the 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United on Sunday.

Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo starts and Fulham winger Harry Wilson is on the bench despite both having been doubts through injury.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Tosin, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Estevao, Joao Pedro, Neto, Delap.

Subs: Jorgensen, Acheampong, James, Fofana, Hato, Essugo, Santos, George, Gittens

Fulham XI: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Castagne, Lukic, Berge, Sessegnon, King, Iwobi, Muniz.

Subs: Lecomte, Cuenca, Robinson, Reed, Cairney, Adama, Wilson, Smith Rowe, Jimenez.

There are six games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Chelsea v Fulham (12:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Man Utd v Burnley

• Sunderland v Brentford

• Tottenham v Bournemouth - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Wolves v Everton

• Leeds v Newcastle (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea face a third consecutive London derby, taking on a Fulham side who have drawn their opening two Premier League matches. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes before Saturday's game.

No Cole Palmer, no problem. Chelsea's Club World Cup final match-winner missed the trip to West Ham with a groin issue but Enzo Maresca's men were still far too strong for the Hammers, running out 5-1 winners.

With Palmer sidelined, summer signing Joao Pedro switched from centre-forward to number 10 and looked the part, contributing an early goal and two assists. Taking into account the Club World Cup, the Brazilian has six goal involvements in four competitive starts for his new side, quickly proving his worth following a move from Brighton last month.

The Blues' next opponents are neighbours Fulham, who won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge last season, claiming their first victory there since 1979.

Nonetheless, Chelsea still have a formidable overall record in this fixture, losing just three of 36 Premier League meetings, home and away. That equates to 8.3% - the joint-lowest loss rate by one club against another in a fixture played at least 20 times.

Will Silva's super subs strike again?

Fulham's win over the Blues on 26 December came courtesy of late goals from substitutes Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz, and the impact of players coming off the bench has been a recurring strength for Marco Silva's team.

Emile Smith Rowe's equaliser in Sunday's draw with Manchester United means Fulham subs have scored 19 Premier League goals since the start of last season, at least four more than any other club.

Raul Jimenez, their top scorer in 2024-25, lost his starting spot to Muniz against the Red Devils and may again have to settle for a place on the bench as he nears a career landmark. The 34-year-old needs one more appearance to become the first Mexican to play 200 Premier League games.

Chelsea looked lacklustre in their opener against Crystal Palace but then thrashed West Ham 5-1. The things is, how can you properly judge anybody who has played West Ham?

My gut feeling is Chelsea will have got a great deal of confidence from the manner in which they beat the Hammers last week.

I like Fulham under Marco Silva and the way they play could cause Chelsea one or two problems.

But I still think the Blues will come out on top in this West London derby.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 12:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Harry Wilson is still "in contention" to feature this weekend after finding out the injury he sustained against Bristol City on Wednesday night is "nothing really serious". The forward is still experiencing "a little bit of pain" and will need to be assessed again.

• Antonee Robinson's availability is also up in the air after not being "in the right condition" to feature in the Cottagers' midweek fixture.

• Silva admitted that recent injury scares have "100%" exposed the lack of depth in his squad, adding: "We have a fantastic group of players here, but we still need depth, quality and competition. We need at least three players."

• The club are still looking to "strengthen the attacking line with two players and one midfielder". He added: "We probably need a striker as well but that probably isn't going to be possible."

• When asked if he believes Fulham will sign three more players, he replied: "There's nothing very close right now. As a manager, I think we don't have any other option but to do it because otherwise we won't be in the condition to play in the Premier League. I think we have wasted a lot of time."

• He is still happy with his current squad though, who have "the right mindset and are always ready to face challenges", but he believes the players need "competition" for their positions.

• On whether Andreas Pereira's move to Palmeiras is nearing completion, he said: "I'm not going to talk about possibilities and rumours. I haven't got any official information and I don't know the ins and outs, so I don't have anything to say."

• Silva was also hesitant to make any comments on the club's links to Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling.

• On the "special" West London derby, he said: "It's going to be a big one. It's a special moment for our fans. It also gives the players extra motivation because there's something more special behind the three points."

• He added: "Since I joined the club, we have changed the record against Chelsea. We are now really competitive against them and we can match them. They have spent billions to strengthen their squad so they are in a completely different world to us off the pitch, they can do things we cannot."

• When asked how his side will approach the game, he said there are "clear things" Fulham can exploit: "We know their strengths very well, they have individual and overall quality. They have a clear identity in terms of the way Enzo Maresca wants to play, such as overloading certain areas and stretching teams. For us, it's clear what he wants in each moment of the game."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Image source, Getty Images

We received an Ask Me Anything question from John, who wanted to know where the 'Craven' in Craven Cottage comes from and why Fulham's stadium is called that.

The ground's name comes from the cottage originally on the site, built by Baron William Craven in 1780 and where the Johnny Haynes Stand now sits.

At the time, the site was surrounded by forest that was once used by as hunting grounds by Anne Boleyn.

The cottage burnt down in 1888 but was restored when Fulham bought the site in 1894, with the first game in their new home being played two years later.

Today, the grandstand, turnstiles and Johnny Haynes Stand are all Grade II listed.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

While Marco Silva has made no secret of his disappointment that his Fulham squad has not been adequately reinforced this summer, he will be delighted by the performances of some of those who have been on the periphery in the Premier League.

Raul Jimenez made a strong case that he should be the starting central striker ahead of Rodrigo Muniz with an all-action display against Bristol City.

Behind him, Harrison Reed excelled in midfield with a neat and tidy display, often showing too much nous for his opponents.

However, Silva will be acutely aware of the difficulties of gauging a performance against opponents from a division lower, who were far from at full strength themselves.

It will be an entirely different matter at the weekend with their visit to big-spending Chelsea and a London rival with entirely different ambitions for this season.

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham boss Marco Silva on the 2-0 win over Bristol City in the second round of the Carabao Cup: "It was a better first half than second. It was important for us to start well, to be clean and ruthless.

"That's important in these type of games. It was also important to keep a clean sheet.

"When you are at home, or away, the motivation from teams from lower divisions is always high.

"It's important to get through. Five Premier League clubs are out. It is always a competition where many teams get surprised.

"We changed it in the second half and the game went in a little different way. We were brave and had the freedom to play. But in the end we could see how high the level is in the Premier League and how high Fulham's level is."

Image source, Getty Images

The draw has been made for the Carabao Cup third round, with 15 Premier League clubs having made it through or entering at this stage.

There are two all-Premier League ties, while holders Newcastle host League One Bradford City.

Ties will take place across two weeks, beginning on 15 and 22 September.

All the fixtures featuring top-flight sides are shown below in the order they were drawn:

• Port Vale v Arsenal

• Swansea City v Nottingham Forest

• Lincoln City v Chelsea

• Tottenham Hotspur v Doncaster Rovers

• Brentford v Aston Villa

• Huddersfield Town v Manchester City

• Liverpool v Southampton

• Newcastle United v Bradford City

• Wolves v Everton

• Crystal Palace v Millwall

• Burnley v Cardiff City

• Barnsley v Brighton

• Fulham v Cambridge United

See the full draw

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

What did you make of Fulham's display?

Fulham make nine changes to the side that began their 1-1 Premier League draw against Manchester United last Sunday, with only Ryan Sessegnon and Timothy Castagne retained in the starting XI and Benjamin Lecomte making his debut in goal.

Fulham XI: Lecomte, Castagne, Diop, Cuenca, Sessegnon, Reed, Cairney, Wilson, Smith Rowe, Traore, Jimenez.

Subs: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Lukic, Berge, King, Iwobi, Muniz

Bristol City also make wholesale changes to the team that started their 1-1 draw at Derby in the Championship last Friday.

Bristol City XI: Lumley, Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, McCrorie, Knight, Bird, Hirakawa, Stokes, Bell, Armstrong.

Subs: Thomas, Randell, Roberts, Twine, Cornick, Sykes, Mehmeti, Jakobsen, Mayulu.