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New Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior watched from the stands as his side were beaten 2-1 by west London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage. Rosenior had not been appointed in time to take charge but observed as Chelsea struggled under caretaker manager Calum McFarlane.
Chelsea went down to ten men in the 22nd minute when Marc Cucurella was sent off for a professional foul on Harry Wilson. The early red card left Chelsea with a difficult task, and they fell behind in the 55th minute to a Raul Jimenez header.
Chelsea equalised shortly after when Liam Delap scored from close range after the ball bounced back off the left post from a corner, following a near-own goal by Antonee Robinson.
However, Fulham regained the lead with nine minutes remaining. Wilson beat Jorrel Hato with a clever touch inside the box before striking a half-volley into the left corner past Robert Sanchez.
The defeat saw Chelsea drop to seventh in the Premier League, below Brentford, while Fulham moved level on 31 points from 21 games. Frustration was evident among the Chelsea fans, with a ‘BlueCo out’ banner displayed and chants directed at the club’s ownership.
Chelsea’s red card for Cucurella marked their eighth dismissal of the season across all competitions, adding to the pressure on the team ahead of Rosenior’s first match in charge.
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