The game turned in the 22nd minute when Marc Cucurella was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on Harry Wilson. Caught out by a long ball from Bernd Leno, Cucurella dragged down the Welsh winger as the last man, leaving the referee no choice but to issue a dismissal. It was Chelsea’s seventh red card of the 2025-26 season, a statistic that continues to plague the club’s consistency. Cucurella received a nearly unanimous 1/10 rating across major outlets for the "mindless" challenge that changed the entire complexion of the night.

With ten men, Chelsea’s attacking width effectively evaporated. Pedro Neto (6.1) and Cole Palmer (6.5) found themselves isolated and were forced to track back deep into their own half, making them almost entirely uninfluential in the final third. Moises Caicedo (5/10) and Enzo Fernandez (7.3) worked tirelessly to bridge the gap, but the numerical disadvantage allowed Fulham to dominate the middle of the park. Even as the Blues attempted to counter, the lack of support for the lone striker made sustained pressure impossible.

Liam Delap’s Milestone in a Losing Effort

Despite the disadvantage, there was a brief moment of hope for the visitors. In the 72nd minute, Liam Delap (7.9) reacted quickest to a loose ball from a corner to fire home his first ever Premier League goal for Chelsea, equalizing at 1-1. It was a deserved reward for Delap, who was the only Chelsea attacker to consistently threaten the Fulham backline. However, the joy was short lived as Harry Wilson, who had been a thorn in Chelsea's side all night, struck the winner just nine minutes later to secure the 2-1 victory for the Cottagers.

Incoming head coach Liam Rosenior was seen taking notes in the stands, and he will have plenty to address when he officially takes over this week. The lack of discipline remains the primary concern, as Chelsea’s talent is frequently undermined by avoidable suspensions. While Robert Sanchez (6.5) made several key saves to keep the scoreline respectable, the overall defensive organization without a full complement of players was porous. Chelsea now sits in