Fulham made the most of a costly red card to beat 10-man Chelsea 2–1 at Craven Cottage, a result that tightened the Premier League table and underlined a growing theme in Chelsea’s season: discipline. On a chilly Wednesday night in west London, Marc Cucurella’s dismissal after 22 minutes swung the derby, and Harry Wilson’s late, deflected winner sealed the points for the hosts with incoming Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior watching from the stands.

This was a derby that turned on one moment, yet still had space for drama: a disallowed goal, a spirited equaliser, and a clinical late strike. Fulham extended their unbeaten run, drew level on 31 points with the Blues after 21 matches, and earned bragging rights just down the Thames.

Cucurella red card changes the game at Craven Cottage

The flashpoint arrived early. Bernd Leno sent a long pass into Chelsea territory. Harry Wilson burst onto it, with Cucurella tracking back as the last defender. Under pressure, the Spaniard was adjudged to have held Wilson and denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. Referee Peter Bankes showed a straight red and gave Fulham a free-kick outside the box.

VAR checked two things: was the foul DOGSO, and did it continue into the area? The review confirmed both the red and the location. As the Premier League match centre explanation put it: “The referee awarded a free-kick to Fulham and issued a red card to Cucurella for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO), a decision that VAR confirmed, determining that Cucurella had committed a holding foul that did not extend into the penalty area.”

Chelsea were down to 10 for more than 65 minutes, another early handicap in a season littered with them. Even by the Blues’ own admission, it set the tone. Their official report noted, “It was never going to be an easy evening for Chelsea after Marc Cucurella’s 22nd-minute red card at Fulham.”

"One tug too many. One man too few. You can't win derbies like that."

Early swings: Chelsea’s bright start and a VAR reprieve for Fulham

Before the red, Chelsea had settled well. From an Enzo Fernandez corner, the ball ricocheted off Andrey Santos and onto the crossbar in an early warning for Fulham. After the dismissal, Chelsea reshaped and introduced Jorrel Hato to help shore up the back line.

Fulham thought they had the lead in first-half stoppage time when Wilson finished smartly, only for VAR to rule the goal out because Raul Jimenez was offside in the build-up. Goalless at the break, the hosts had the extra player and the momentum.

Second-half goals: Jimenez, Delap, then Wilson

Marco Silva’s side finally made the advantage count on 55 minutes. Sander Berge swung in a measured cross, Jimenez peeled away from Trevoh Chalobah, and the Mexican’s downwards header found the bottom corner. It was a simple, well-timed move that punished Chelsea’s tiring defensive shape.

Yet the 10 men rallied. A spell of pressure led to a Chelsea corner, Antonee Robinson’s header crashed against his own bar, and Liam Delap reacted first to stab home from close range on 72 minutes. It was the young striker’s first league goal and a lifeline the visitors had earned with sheer effort.

"Delap showed fight, but you can't spot teams a red every week."

But Fulham had the final say. With nine minutes left, a clearance dropped to Wilson on the edge of the Chelsea area. He shaped to shoot, wrong-footed Hato with a neat feint, and his effort clipped Reece James on the way into the bottom corner. The deflection took it beyond the goalkeeper and restored the hosts’ lead at 81 minutes. As Chelsea’s report summed up, “his shot deflected off James and flew into the bottom corner. Nine minutes remained.”

Silva then tightened things up, making late changes to protect the advantage. Fulham saw it out with composure.

Discipline bites Chelsea again

The red card was Chelsea’s seventh of the season across competitions and at least the third time they have played with 10 men from the first half in a league match. That pattern is now impossible to ignore. While there was, as the club said, “plenty of fight,” the cost of early indiscipline keeps wiping away hard work later on.

Fan sentiment was harsh and direct. One supporter called it “absolutely brainless,” another argued, “With Cucurella’s experience, such mistakes shouldn’t be happening.” It echoed the wider narrative around Chelsea: the quality is there in spells, but the decisions under pressure continue to hurt them.

"Seven reds by January says it all. Fix the mindset before the tactics."

Rosenior watches on: a clear to-do list at Stamford Bridge

Incoming head coach Liam Rosenior watched from the stands and is due to start work on Thursday. He inherits a team that can compete even when undermanned, but keeps creating its own problems. The immediate checklist is simple and urgent:

• Cut out avoidable fouls and DOGSO-risk moments in transition.
• Improve the structure against long balls and counter runs like Wilson’s.
• Defend crosses more cleanly; Jimenez’s header was too easy.
• Keep set-piece focus; Delap’s goal came from chaos Chelsea created, but they need more controlled chances like it.

Get those basics right, and the effort shown after Delap’s leveller can start turning one point into three. Keep repeating the same errors, and tight games like this will keep slipping away.

Wilson’s form fuels Fulham and shifts the table

Wilson has found a groove. He scored against Liverpool last weekend and was at the heart of everything here: won the key free-kick that brought the red card, had a first-half strike chalked off, then delivered the late winner via a deflection off James. It was a complete, persistent performance from the Welshman.

Fulham’s reward is momentum and a tidy league picture: after 21 games they sit on 31 points (9 wins, 4 draws, 8 losses, goal difference 0), level with Chelsea (8 wins, 7 draws, 6 losses, goal difference +10). In a tight mid-table, that matters. So do derby wins. Craven Cottage felt it.

How the story reads

Strip it back and the plot is clear. Chelsea started well, hit the bar, then saw the game flip on Cucurella’s hold on Wilson. VAR correctly kept the free-kick outside the area. Fulham pressed, thought they had the lead, and were denied before half-time. After the break, Jimenez headed in, Delap hit back, and Wilson decided it.

Sometimes a match is a mirror. For Fulham, it reflected control, patience, and a cutting edge in big moments. For Chelsea, it showed fight, promise in bursts, and a costly habit that keeps coming back. The league table says these teams are neck and neck; on the night, fine margins and one rash tug made the difference.

Full-time facts

• Score: Fulham 2–1 Chelsea (Premier League, 7 January 2026; Craven Cottage)
• Fulham scorers: Raul Jimenez 55’ (header, Sander Berge cross), Harry Wilson 81’ (deflected off Reece James)
• Chelsea scorer: Liam Delap 72’ (close range after corner, Robinson off own bar)
• Red card: Marc Cucurella 22’ (DOGSO on Wilson; foul outside the box, VAR confirmed)
• VAR: Wilson first-half goal disallowed for offside against Jimenez in the build-up
• Table at full-time (per ESPN): both on 31 points after 21 games (Fulham GD 0; Chelsea GD +10)

In the end, Fulham managed the moments and the man advantage. Chelsea will point to spirit and bad luck on the winner’s deflection. But the bigger story is the one Rosenior now must write: stop the reds, and the results will follow. Keep them coming, and nights like this will keep repeating.