Fulham 0-2 Chelsea: Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja strike one minute apart as Mauricio Pochettino’s men finally find their cutting edge

Only in terms of geography did this feel like a derby. Only 2.5 kilometers separate the clubs and even after this result the only difference in the rankings is in the goal difference column. Nevertheless, in terms of what we saw on the pitch, Chelsea were remotely superior.

We haven’t said that about Chelsea much this season, or even at all recently. We certainly couldn’t say that after losses to Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and West Ham.

But here, belated but also just in time to quell a growing sense of crisis, Mauricio Pochettino’s side once again looked like a decent side. Not spectacular or flamboyant. And not always extensive. But goal-oriented, superior and more than competent. On this occasion and in these difficult Chelsea times, enough was enough.

Chelsea dominated the game and the chances. Indeed, Fulham only had one, substitute Sasa Lukic was denied by Robert Sánchez in the Chelsea goal with ten minutes to go. Cole Palmer, recently signed from Manchester City, was the game’s best player and best passer. Some may still catch the 21-year-old.

But it was the identity of the two goalscorers that might be the most important of all. The first, in the 18th minute, was Mykhailo Mudryk. Mudryk signed for £85 million in January and has been less disappointing and more invisible since. This was his very first goal.

Then, 82 seconds later and after a mistake by Fulham captain Tim Ream, Armando Broja scored his team’s second. Broja’s problems were not of form, but of fitness. The 22-year-old has been struggling with a knee injury and this was only his first goal in a year and indeed only his first start since last November.

As for Fulham, they were never really into it. They can be better than this. Marco Silva’s side are missing a central point with Aleksandar Mitrovic playing in Saudi Arabia, but that wasn’t the only thing wrong. They weren’t competitive enough to begin with – they gave Chelsea a chance in the first minute – and by the time they improved they were already down by a goal.

Chelsea’s problems ran deep this season. Not enough goals quickly resulted in too few points. It’s a potentially harmful combination. Here they had Broja to look at and he gave them a focal point at the top of their formation.

The Albanian – born in Slough and the first footballer trained at Tottenham – could have scored in the first minute. The 22-year-old played flawlessly on goal and certainly did not panic. Broja took his time to push the ball past goalkeeper Bernd Leno and also waited for three defenders to commit themselves. Unfortunately he then shot high and wide from about twelve meters.

A miss that was completely in line with Chelsea’s difficult season, because for once it did not set the tone for the evening. Pochettino’s team were vastly superior to their neighbors in terms of possession and territory and they pressed Fulham back until they finally broke through twice in the 18th and 19th minutes.

The first goal was beautiful; Levi Colwill’s cross from the left was good enough to fly over the head of Fulham’s Issa Diop and onto the chest of Mudryk. Diop should have done better. He seemed to jump too early. When the ball fell to Mudryk, he controlled it beautifully on his chest before stroking it under the advancing Leno for the first time.

Chelsea were dangerous and full of running at this stage. Fulham, on the other hand, were nowhere near the required level.

In Chelsea’s midfield, young Cole Palmer was influential, eager to get on the ball, turn and make good passes.

Here he was involved in a second goal that was disastrous from Fulham’s perspective. Palmer stretched to intercept Tim Ream’s pass from the back, gathered possession, played through Broja and watched as Ream’s attempted tackle only hit his opponent and rebounded into the goal.

For Fulham it felt like a hammer blow. For Chelsea it felt like the start of their season.

There were other half-chances for the away team – Enzo Fernandez fired over after another Palmer move – as Fulham struggled to create anything. A header wide from a Raul Jimenez corner was the only real chance of the first half.

Fulham were slightly better in the second half and the introduction of substitutes Alex Iwobi and Carlos Vinicius helped them in terms of physical presence – although Vinicius was lucky to escape a heavy penalty when he deliberately looked Thiago Silva just behind his head to clump. before the hour.

Iwobi, signed from Everton last month, might have been better off heading Antonee Robinson’s cross at the far post instead of shooting the ball into the ground and up. He then had his shot blocked after Vinicius aimed the ball towards him.

It was certainly a more open match by now. Fulham had no choice but to chase the game and Chelsea seemed happy to absorb the pressure and then break. They did this in the 63rd minute and substitute Ian Maatsen – replacing the likely injured Mudryk at half-time – hit the post with a left-foot shot from 18 yards. Fernandez moved quickly for the rebound, but Leno came out to block.

A minute later, Raheem Sterling was brought on. Sterling had started on the bench after an illness and was booked almost immediately for what appeared to be dissent.

Fulham’s possession in the second half never felt particularly significant. For the most part it was a territory rather than an actual pressure.

That said, they created another super chance with just over 10 minutes remaining. Willian and substitute Tom Cairney opened Chelsea up on the left and when the ball was passed low to the feet of Sasa Lukic it was denied by a point-blank save from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.