Chelsea secured a much-needed Premier League win this afternoon with a 1-0 win over Fulham which lifts the Blues into eighth position as they look to make their way into the European places.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men may have only won by a one-goal margin, but it will surely give them plenty of confidence, especially knowing that they can now grind out results.
There were plenty of standouts for the Blues during their tense win, with attacking midfielder Cole Palmer getting on the scoresheet in the league yet again.
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ByDominic LundAug 12, 2024 Cole Palmer’s game vs Fulham in numbers
Prior to the Fulham clash, Palmer had scored seven goals and chipped in with four assists across 17 league ties this season and when Chelsea got a penalty against their London rivals, the outcome was never in doubt.
Alongside his goal, the former Manchester City starlet showed his desire to get on the ball often by taking 64 touches during the game, while he also took three total shots and made one key pass.
Palmer also succeeded with two of his three dribble attempts while demonstrating his defensive ability by winning 66% of his ground duels along with making one tackle and one interception, with this ever-growing maturity allowing him to develop into a wonderful player and flourish for the Blues.
He did score the game-winning goal, yet he wasn’t Chelsea’s finest player during the game. That accolade belongs to Enzo Fernandez, who delivered a masterful performance in the heart of the midfield.
Enzo Fernández’s performance vs Fulham in numbers
The Argentinian midfielder controlled things in the middle of the pitch alongside Moises Caicedo and this was key to Chelsea dictating the player for long spells.
Fernandez finished the game having taken 93 touches while also succeeding with 50 of his 61 attempted passes – a success rate of 81% – as he showed a keen desire to get on the ball.
The midfielder pushed forward on a regular basis too, as he created one big chance while succeeding with four of his six dribble attempts, and he even made three key passes during the clash, proving his worth across a range of metrics.
His desire to get to a more advanced role meant he did lose possession 20 times, but in the end, that didn’t matter as the Blues secured a crucial three points.
It was perhaps no surprise to see him given a rating of 7/10 by the Evening Standard for his wonderful display, with journalist Nizaar Kinsella praising the youngster for what was ‘one of Fernandez's best matches for many weeks’ while he also ‘linked the play well’ and, hopefully he can build on this platform.
Pochettino will need all his big hitters to deliver big performances over the next few weeks, especially as they prepare for the second leg of their EFL Cup semifinal against Middlesbrough.
The Stamford Bridge side trail 1-0 from the first leg, but if Fernandez and co can replicate their performances from today, then they should ease into the final.
