Fulham add to Potter's woes as Joao Felix sent off on Blues debut
BAD FIRST IMPRESSION: Chelsea's Joao Felix walks off after being shown a red card. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire.
IT DOESN'T RAIN but it pours for Graham Potter, the under-fire Chelsea manager whose new star signing Joao Felix was sent off on his debut as the Blues crashed to another humiliating defeat, this time at the home of their local rivals Fulham.
Potter was already under intense scrutiny after only one win in the past six games, including two successive defeats to Manchester City. That run is now three straight defeats, meaning Chelsea are now ten points below the top four and looking increasingly likely to miss out on a Champions League place.
Potter already had an extensive injury list, leading to the loan signing of Felix from Atletico Madrid earlier this week, and after just one training session with his new team-mates the young Portuguese striker was thrown in at the deep end, on the banks of the River Thames on a wild wintry night.
Initially his quality shone through in glimpses and he was comfortably Chelsea's best player until he was sent off in the 57th minute for an ugly lunge on Kenny Tete, catching the Fulham defender with his studs.
Felix got a straight red card, meaning he will miss Chelsea's next three games, and to make things worse for Chelsea, defender Dennis Zakaria went off with yet another injury.
But take nothing away from Fulham, who were better from start to finish and are now in sixth place, just four points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.
Chelsea old-boy Willian put them ahead in the 25th minute, and after Kalidou Koulibaly equalised early in the second half, Fulham got their deserved victory when Carlos Vinicius struck the winner 15 minutes from the end of a pulsating west London derby.
Chelsea had their chances, mostly falling to Felix, but Fulham always looked more likely to score, against a jittery Blues defence.
It took less than half an hour for Fulham fans to start chanting “You're getting sacked in the morning” at the unfortunate Potter, and no wonder. His team were woeful, especially in defence where they kept giving the ball away. Even without top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic, suspended after getting five yellow cards in the first half of the season, Fulham looked like scoring every time they went forward, their pace and purpose in contrast to Chelsea's ponderous attacks. Vinicius, the former Tottenham striker, gave Thiago Silva a torrid time with his height and willingness to tussle for every ball, and while Willian ripped his former side apart on the left wing, Bobby de Cordova-Reid was just as effective on the right. The two combined for Fulham's opening goal after Lewis Hall gave the ball away cheaply on Chelsea's left. De Cordova-Reid worked it across the width of the penalty box, Willian cut in from the left and shot towards goal.
Kepa Arrizabalaga might have had it covered, but a wicked deflection off the legs of Trevoh Chalobah, diverted the ball past his keeper. It was no less than Fulham deserved, having been the better footballing side and played with more hunger and composure at the same time.
Marco Silva has built a side that played composed passing football at pace and fight for every ball, and for each other.
They could have had scored more in the first-half alone, with Vinicius screwing one shot wide and then setting up De Cordova Reid to crash a shot against the bar after a howler from Chalobah.
Whatever Potter said at half-time stirred his side briefly and they equalised shortly after the restart. Mason Mount, fired in a free-kick from the left that struck the near post, and as Leno flapped aat the ball, it fell for Koulibaly to put it over the line – just – from close range.
For a while Chelsea threatened to get on top, and Felix had a firm long shot saved by Leno. But the Portuguese then disgraced himself in the 57th minute. A loose ball bounced between Felix and Tete, and the Portuguese flew in with his legs outstretched, catching the Fulham defender's shin with his studs.
Referee David Coote did not need VAR to bring out his red card. With ten men, Chelsea were up against it and Vinicius scored the winner with a towering header from Andreas Pereira's prefect cross.
Fulham's fans were singing long into the night, but for Chelsea and Potter, the question is where do they go from here?
Leno 7; Tete 7, Tosin Adarabioyo 7, Ream 7, Robinson 8; Palhinha 7, Reed 7 (Cairney 68); De Cordova-Reid 7 (Wilson 68), Pereira 8, Willian 9 (Soloman 83); Carlos Vinicius 8 (N Chalobah 90+3)
Arrizabalaga 6; T Chalobah 4 (Cucurella 79), Thiago Silva 6, Koulibaly 5; Azpilicueta 5, Zakaria 6 (Jorginho 56), Kovacic 6 (Gallagher 79), Hall 4 (Chukwuemeka 79); Felix 5, Havertz 5, Mount 6 (Ziyech 79)
: David Coote 6/10
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