Fulham manager Marco Silva thrilled with historic victory at Chelsea

Fulham achieved a remarkable victory by scoring twice in the last ten minutes, thereby ending Chelsea's impressive 12-match unbeaten streak across all competitions with a 2-1 triumph in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.

Substitutes Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz delivered a stunning performance, securing Fulham's first away win against their west London rivals since 1979.

This defeat leaves Chelsea, currently in second place, four points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand, beginning with their match against Leicester later on Thursday.

The win propels Fulham to eighth place, now level on points with reigning champions Manchester City and just one point behind fifth-placed Newcastle, enhancing their prospects for European competition next season.

"It is a privilege to bring this joy to our fans," remarked Fulham manager Marco Silva.

"The reaction in the second half was exceptional. It is no coincidence that we are the Premier League team with the highest number of goals scored by substitutes."

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has recently emphasized that his youthful squad is not yet ready to contend for the title, despite their commendable performances.

The home team illustrated their manager's concerns by failing to capitalize on a promising start initiated by the skillful Cole Palmer.

Initially, it seemed there was little opportunity when Levi Colwill passed the ball to Palmer approximately 40 yards from goal. However, the England international sprang into action, evading Andreas Pereira and skillfully maneuvering past Sasa Lukic towards the edge of the penalty area.

Palmer subsequently executed the finish with ease, skillfully maneuvering the ball through the legs of defender Issa Diop and into the corner of Bernd Leno's net.

This marked Palmer's 26th league goal of 2024, surpassing the Chelsea record for Premier League goals scored in a calendar year, previously held by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink since 2001.

"We maintained the lead for the majority of the match, but losing in the end is challenging," Palmer remarked.

"In the second half, we lost some control. They are an effective transition team that prefers to play directly, and we became entangled in their style, which ultimately cost us."

Palmer nearly secured a second goal shortly after his initial strike, executing a nutmeg at the edge of the penalty area followed by a low shot that was expertly saved by Leno.

Fulham's German goalkeeper also made crucial saves to deny Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez from extending Chelsea's advantage around half-time.

Silva's squad has now garnered points against Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea this month, with the Portuguese manager's substitutions shifting the momentum in favor of the visitors.

With eight minutes remaining, substitute Tom Cairney delivered a cross that Timothy Castagne headed across the goal, allowing Wilson to nod in at the far post.

Both teams had opportunities to secure victory in a thrilling conclusion, but it was Fulham who capitalized in the 95th minute to achieve a remarkable win.

Lukic advanced from midfield and laid the ball off for Muniz, who calmly placed it into the bottom corner, much to the delight of the traveling supporters.