New Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior endured a brutal introduction to the scale of his task, watching from the directors' box as his 10-man side succumbed to a chaotic 2-1 defeat at Fulham, sealed by a late winner from Harry Wilson.
Rosenior's View from Above as Chaos Unfolds
The newly appointed manager, who had just left Strasbourg, chose not to take his place in the away dugout for this Premier League clash. Interim coach Calum McFarlane remained in charge on the touchline, but the performance that unfolded was riddled with the indiscipline and fragility that has plagued Chelsea's season.
Rosenior sat alongside co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali, gaining a stark view of his squad's capabilities. The travelling Chelsea supporters made their feelings clear, directing mutinous chants at the club's hierarchy and unveiling a banner calling for owners BlueCo to sell up.
Promise Undermined by Rashness and Red Card
Chelsea actually began the match with purpose at Craven Cottage. Andrey Santos, handed a rare start in midfield, came agonisingly close to opening the scoring in the 18th minute, heading a corner against the crossbar. Moisés Caicedo's follow-up was well saved by Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
However, the game's pivotal moment arrived just after the half-hour mark. A simple long punt from Leno sent Harry Wilson racing clear. Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella, outpaced, tangled with the Welsh winger on the edge of the area and was shown a straight red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity. It was Chelsea's eighth dismissal in all competitions this season.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Chelsea reorganised and held firm until the 63rd minute. Fulham, having struggled to break down the low block, finally found a way through. Sander Berge delivered a fine cross and Raúl Jiménez guided a superb header past Robert Sánchez to give the hosts the lead.
Brief Hope Extinguished by Wilson
Chelsea showed resilience to fight back. With 18 minutes remaining, a corner caused havoc in the Fulham box, and Liam Delap was quickest to react, turning in a rebound to equalise.
The joy was short-lived. Fulham found a second wind and regained the lead just seven minutes later. After Sánchez saved from Emile Smith Rowe, the ball fell kindly to Harry Wilson. He deftly skipped past defender Jorrel Hato and squeezed a low finish into the net for his seventh goal of the campaign.
The result leaves Chelsea and Fulham level on points in the Premier League table, a damning indictment of the Blues' troubled season. For Liam Rosenior, the watching brief is over; the monumental job of steering this erratic project back on course begins now.
