Substitutes Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz struck late to hand Fulham their first away win against their west London rivals since 1979.
The defeat leaves Chelsea in second place, still four points behind leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand, beginning with a match against Leicester later on Thursday.
Fulham’s win lifts them to eighth in the table, level on points with reigning champions Manchester City and just one point behind fifth-placed Newcastle as they push for a European spot next season.
Fulham manager Marco Silva expressed his joy, saying, “It is a privilege to give our fans this happiness.
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In the second half, the reaction was excellent. It’s no coincidence that we are the Premier League team with the most goals scored by substitutes.”
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca had cautioned in recent weeks that his youthful side wasn’t yet ready for a title challenge, and their performance on this occasion seemed to back up his concerns.
Despite a strong start, they couldn’t hold onto their lead after a brilliant strike from Cole Palmer.
The opening goal came after Levi Colwill played the ball to Palmer about 40 yards out.
The England international turned away from Andreas Pereira and dribbled past Sasa Lukic before calmly finishing, sending the ball through Issa Diop’s legs and into the corner of the net.
It was Palmer’s 26th Premier League goal of 2024, setting a new Chelsea record for the most league goals in a calendar year, surpassing Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s 2001 record.
“We were winning for most of the game, but to lose at the end is difficult,” Palmer reflected. “In the second half, we lost a bit of control. They’re a good transition team and like to play direct. We got caught up in their game and paid the price.”
Palmer nearly added a second shortly after his opener, with a nutmeg on the edge of the box and a low shot that was superbly saved by Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Leno was also crucial in keeping Chelsea’s lead intact, making key saves to deny Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez either side of halftime.
Silva’s tactical changes proved decisive as Fulham came from behind in the latter stages. With just eight minutes remaining, substitute Tom Cairney delivered a cross that was headed across goal by Timothy Castagne, allowing Wilson to glance the ball in at the far post.
Both teams had chances to seal the game in a frantic finale, but it was Fulham who took theirs in the 95th minute.
Fulham midfielder Sasa Lukic surged forward and squared the ball to Muniz, who calmly slotted it into the bottom corner, sending the traveling fans into jubilation and securing a historic win for Fulham.
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