Chelsea walked away from Craven Cottage with three hard-earned points, edging Fulham 2-1 in a West London clash where the expected goals told one story—but finishing told another. Despite generating just under 1.0 xG, Chelsea converted twice, while Fulham managed only a single on-target effort, which found the net.

Stat Breakdown

Shots: Chelsea 11 – 5 Fulham

xG: Chelsea 0.99 – 0.19 Fulham

Shots on Target: Chelsea 8 – 1 Fulham

Box Touches: Chelsea 29 – 14 Fulham

Possession: Chelsea 59% – 41% Fulham

Chelsea were far more proactive with the ball, generating more possession time (31:10 minutes of pure possession vs. Fulham’s 22:00) and nearly doubling the number of passes into the final third.

Momentum

The expected goals momentum chart showed Chelsea growing into the game steadily, with both goals arriving late—T. George and Pedro Neto scoring in the 83rd and 93rd minutes, respectively. Fulham’s only major moment came early, with Alex Iwobi opening the scoring in the 20th minute off their only high-quality look.

Shot Maps: Sharp When It Mattered

Chelsea’s shot map revealed a concentration of efforts from the left side and central areas just outside the box. While not particularly high in individual xG, the team’s ability to consistently test Bernd Leno paid off.

Fulham, meanwhile, had a barren shot profile—just five attempts all game, and only one on target.

Both Chelsea goals came from low-xG chances, highlighting clinical finishing rather than overwhelming attacking threat.

Possession Play: Chelsea in Control

The pass maps underline Chelsea’s tactical superiority. Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, and Levi Colwill formed the structural spine of a midfield that recycled possession confidently and linked play across both flanks.

Fulham, in contrast, leaned heavily on their back line and Robinson-Bassey-Luki? triangle to progress the ball—but struggled to build sustained pressure or connections with Iwobi and Jiménez up front.

Final Word

Chelsea won’t win many style points for this one, but they’ll care little. Efficient finishing and disciplined possession outweighed Fulham’s scrappy resilience. Fulham, on the other hand, will lament the lack of end product and wonder how a home derby ended with just a single shot on target.