Chelsea vs Fulham Match Report

Chelsea Crowned PL Summer Series Champions Against West London Rivals.

Chelsea’s final game of the Premier League Summer Series was against local rivals Fulham in a sweltering Maryland. Pochettino used the final game of the summer series to continue experimenting with his teams and he fielded two different lineups in each half. The first half’s XI saw full Chelsea debuts given to American Goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina and young English striker Mason Burstow. Andrey Santos partnered Enzo Fernandez in midfield in a pivot we will likely be seeing lots of in the future. 

The Fulham side saw a familiar face on the left wing in Willian. A man who contributed to multiple Chelsea trophy wins. But it would be Chelsea trying to win a trophy of their own against his Fulham side. The Premier League Summer Series trophy was up for grabs for both teams today which ensured a big physical challenge for both sides. A draw would’ve seen Aston Villa pick up the trophy. 

The first ten minutes of the game were controlled by Chelsea who kept possession nicely. We were treated to snippets of tidy play by the likes of Silva, Enzo, and Santos and Fulham had a half-chance which was blocked by Christopher Nkunku. I’ve been very impressed with Nkunku’s defensive work rate in the games I’ve seen of him, obviously along with his elite attacking output. 

Chelsea broke the deadlock in the 20th minute when Thiago Silva scored a bullet header past Bernd Leno. It was a beautiful delivery from Chilwell that landed perfectly on the Brazilian’s head. It felt like we never scored corners last season so it felt great to see one fly in today. 

The work rate of the team was fantastic throughout the first half, especially as it was 30 degrees Celsius. Pochettino’s famous Gacon tests are clearly paying off. 

Two players who I think deserve a mention from that first half are Bashir Humphreys and Carney Chukwuemeka. Bashir impressed me with his composure and how brilliant he is with both feet. He looked very comfortable at this level. Carney has impressed me throughout pre-season too, his power, paired with his technical ability really is refreshing to see in the middle of the park. 

Chelsea’s first-half excellence was rewarded just before the break when Nkunku scored his third goal of pre-season after some great play from Carney Chukwuemeka, who forced a save from Leno and Nkunku tapped the ball into an empty net. 

Like the game against Newcastle, there really wasn’t a lot to report from the second half as Chelsea made nine changes which killed our momentum in the game. There was a big drop off from both sides physically in the second half and it did drag on. 

There were some positives that I picked up from the second half, however. Jackson showcased some more fantastic link-up play and one run in particular that resulted in a goalbound shot being blocked. He made the most of his lack of service which is something I really rate about him, he can make something out of nothing. 

Levi Colwill showed some of his defensive qualities with a couple of really good headed clearances and tackles near the box. His passing range was a bit off today by his very high standards but all in all, it was a good game from him. His partner at the back Alfie Gilchrist impressed me too with his defensive work. Shades of a young John Terry. 

Gallagher, Hall, and Maatsen all produced some tidy stuff in the second half but in all honesty, it wasn’t a thrilling half but Chelsea have won the PL Summer Series! Not a big trophy by our standards and we won’t be making DVDs on it like some clubs do, but it does give us some much-needed confidence that we can beat strong Premier League sides which is something we really struggled with last season.  

Reece James and Thiago Silva lifted the cup together which I thought was a nice moment, but we will have to wait and see who becomes our permanent captain. I suspect it will be Reece James. 

A 2-0 win to end the Summer Series. We’ve got one game still to come against Borussia Dortmund in Illinois before we face Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

Since the last game, we’ve reportedly agreed a fee for Axel Disasi of Monaco according to David Ornstein and Lesley Ugochukwu’s transfer from Rennes should be announced tomorrow. Glad we’re seeing some movement from the transfer team but there is still more to be done before we’re visited by Liverpool. 

Will Reyner