Chelsea vs Fulham LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Blues held to goalless draw
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham: Graham Potter’s side were held by the well-organised visitors as January’s record-breaking spending failed to lead to attacking inspiration
Enzo Fernandez’s Chelsea debut ended in anti-climax as Fulham earned a worthy 0-0 draw against Graham Potter’s side at Stamford Bridge.
The hosts’ £106.5million deadline day signing was kept largely subdued as Potter’s team failed to substantially improve upon their mid-table Premier League position and saw their indifferent form extend to one win in six in the competition.
Fulham proved it is not necessary to spend in excess of £500m to sit in the upper reaches of the top flight, with Marco Silva’s well-drilled team making the hosts look toothless at times at the end of a week in which they broke the British transfer record to land World Cup-winner Fernandez.
It leaves Chelsea stranded in ninth and already struggling to hold on to the optimism generated by owner Todd Boehly’s whirlwind £315m investment during the January transfer window.
Follow all the action as Chelsea host Fulham at Stamford Bridge:
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
54 mins: Fulham have started the second half as the better team. They look more composed, more aggressive and more determined.
Chelsea are a bit erratic at the back now. Fulham are putting them under more pressure than the first half for sure.
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
51 mins: Andreas Pereira gets booked for a flying tackle on Marc Cucurella. He took out the man and VAR took a look to see whether he’d committed a possible red card foul.
He didn’t.
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
48 mins: There’s now word on why Mykhailo Mudryk was taken off at half-time. He didn’t look injured in any way so it’s probably a tactical change from Graham Potter.
Issa Diop plays the ball up to Bobby De Cordova-Reid who brings it down the right side and swings a cross into the middle. He’s looking for Aleksandar Mitrovic but Thiago Silva gets there once again and nods it away.
Second half: Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
Kick off: Noni Madueke comes on to replace Mykhailo Mudryk for Chelsea at the break. Fulham get the match restarted and work it over to the right wing.
They feed the ball to Willian who weaves through three defenders and blitzes a low drive towards goal but Kepa Arrizabalaga leaps over to smother the effort.
HT Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
The first half of Chelsea’s Premier League matches this season have seen just 18 goals scored (nine for, nine against), the joint fewest of any team.
HT Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
Half-time: Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
45+1 mins: The whistle goes for half-time with the teams all square. Fulham have put in a decent performance and have created a few good chances.
Chelsea have dominated possession and every now and then their individual quality has shone through to put the Cottagers under real pressure.
No breakthroughs though. All the play for in the second half.
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
44 mins: Off the post! Brilliant play from Chelsea here. Hakim Ziyech - who hasn’t had the best night - receives the ball in the middle of the pitch and flicks it over the top.
Kai Havertz sprints in behind Kenny Tete and carries the ball into the box. Bernd Leno comes out to close him down and Havertz chips the goalkeeper from a tight angle.
The ball looks to be dropping into the back of the night but hits the left-hand post and bounces away!
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
40 mins: Chelsea have had a lot of possession but they’ve not done much with it. The best chances of the half have come to Fulham with Andreas Pereira forcing Kepa into a save and Willian picking the wrong option with a header.
Marco Silva will be pleased with his team’s effort.
Chelsea 0-0 Fulham
36 mins: Oh no! Kenny Tete makes fabulous run down the right wing and breezes past Enzo Fernandez. Marc Cucurella is nowhere to be seen which allows Tete to hook the ball into the far side of the penalty area.
Willian arrives and is wide open. He’s got a free header but instead of going for goal knocks it back across to Aleksandar Mitrovic. Mitrovic isn’t expecting the ball and has his back to goal.
He tries to force it in but gets swarmed ad Chelsea clear the danger.
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