Chelsea made it three Premier League wins in a row for the first time since October 2022 as Cole Palmer’s penalty guided them to a 1-0 victory over Fulham at Stamford Bridge.
The winning goal came in stoppage time at the end of the first half, the top scorer for Mauricio Pochettino’s side notching his ninth goal of the season after Raheem Sterling was tripped in the box.
However, the move had been started by a moment of Palmer's genius, spotting a gap and threading a superb ball through the middle that drew defender Issa Diop into a clumsy foul.
Marco Silva’s visitors never truly looked beaten until the final whistle sounded. Chelsea, though, defended doggedly in the final moments to breathe genuine momentum into their season.
VAVEL considers the four things we learned from this Saturday afternoon fixture:
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Palmer the difference once again
Once again, in times of great need for Chelsea, they look to their young summer acquisition to achieve a positive result for them.
Not only did Cole Palmer score the winning penalty and in the process net his ninth goal of the campaign, but it was also the talented winger's intricate pass that played Raheem Sterling in behind, in a space to win the spot-kick in the first place.
Life for Chelsea fans has been full of inconsistency and confusion since the Boehly era began, but one resounding success story has been Palmer's arrival in Southwest London and is certainly a player that future squads should be built around given his immense ability.
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Fulham still stuttering on the road
Fulham's poor away run continued. The Cottagers have lost their past five league games on the road and were beaten 2-1 at Liverpool in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.
The visitors were able to create a handful of meaningful chances and were unlucky to not be playing against 10 men with Malo Gusto's heavy challenge on Willian only receiving a yellow from referee Anthony Taylor.
But ultimately, there was not enough quality in their attacking play and many mislaid passes at crucial times meant that a goal never really looked like being scored.
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Chilwell return a welcome boost
The sight of Ben Chilwell on the sideline, waiting to take his place on the field for Chelsea in the 77th minute, was met with rapturous applause from the home support.
The Englishmen has been out of action for over three months with a hamstring issue, and his return to the first team is a great positive for Pochettino's side.
The club vice-captain brings much-needed experience and composure to a Chelsea side that has really missed any attacking fullback threat in that left-back position since his injury.
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AFCON impact hinders Fulham's options
The Africa Cup of Nations always has an impact on Premier League squads with many players absent for multiple weeks at a crucial time in the season.
Notable figures that will be missing include Liverpool's Mohammed Salah and Manchester United's Andre Onana, but Fulham will also be without some very integral players for their squad in the form of Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey.
Both Nigerians could have helped carve out a positive result for the away side in this fixture had they been available for selection, with Bassey's quality at the back, far superior to the efforts of Issa Diop, and the energy that Iwobi can provide in midfield either from the outset or when introduced as a sub could have been a difference maker against an inexperienced Chelsea team.
