Chelsea vs Fulham: How VAR Shaped Controversial Derby Win

Chelsea claimed a vital 2-0 victory over rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge, but the London derby will be remembered as much for Joao Pedro’s scoring streak as for the refereeing controversies that overshadowed the contest.

Chelsea striker Joao Pedro continued his blistering start to life in west London, heading in a crucial opener in first-half stoppage time before Enzo Fernandez doubled the advantage from the penalty spot.

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Yet Fulham’s frustrations were palpable, as referee Robert Jones and VAR Michael Salisbury made several contentious calls that tipped the balance in Chelsea’s favour.

The first flashpoint came in the 21st minute when Fulham midfielder Josh King thought he had given his side the lead.

However, the goal was disallowed after VAR judged that Rodrigo Muniz had fouled Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up.

Despite what appeared to be only minimal contact in a natural striker’s movement, Jones upheld the ruling after a pitchside review—sparking protests from Fulham players and fury from manager Marco Silva.

Chelsea punished that setback ruthlessly. Despite being outplayed for much of the opening half, they capitalized at the death when Fernandez whipped in a corner and Pedro rose highest to glance a header past Bernd Leno.

The timing was devastating for Fulham, who had looked the sharper side up until that point.

Fernandez sealed the victory early in the second half when the referee awarded a penalty after Ryan Sessegnon was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area.

Once again, Fulham felt hard done by as the incident appeared far from clear-cut, but Fernandez held his nerve to send Leno the wrong way.

For Chelsea, the win was the perfect way to enter the international break. However, there were injury concerns as new signing Liam Delap limped off in the opening stages with a suspected hamstring problem.

Manager Enzo Maresca admitted post-match that Delap could be sidelined for six to eight weeks, compounding the absence of Cole Palmer, who is already out injured.

The lack of attacking options became even more pressing after Christopher Nkunku completed a move to AC Milan before kick-off and Nicolas Jackson edged closer to joining Bayern Munich on loan.

That forced Maresca to turn to academy product Tyrique George, who impressed with his energy but lacked the cutting edge of his more experienced teammates.

Thankfully for Chelsea, Joao Pedro’s red-hot form is filling the void. Since arriving from Brighton in a £55 million deal, the Brazilian forward has hit the ground running, netting five goals and registering two assists in his first five starts across all competitions.

He is the first Chelsea player to score five or more in his opening five starts since Tammy Abraham in 2019.

Pedro’s seamless transition has been aided by his familiarity with the Premier League, having joined Watford in 2020, and by Maresca’s tactical style, which he says mirrors that of his former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

Cutting short his summer holiday in Brazil to join Chelsea early has also accelerated his integration.