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London (AFP) – The first match of the Portuguese Joao Felix with Chelsea ended with a double setback, after his team lost to its host Fulham 1-2 in a postponed match from the seventh stage of the English Football League, in addition to his expulsion less than an hour before the match.
Hours after the young striker joined on loan from Atletico Madrid, Felix participated with the Blues in his match, but was dismissed in the 58th minute due to violent interference. Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remained on the bench. And Chelsea regained the services of its Spanish captain, Cesar Aspilicueta.
However, this did not prevent Chelsea from continuing its bad performances, as it received its seventh loss this season and the third in succession in various competitions, including two defeats against Manchester City, 0-1 in the Premier League and 0-4 in the third round of the FA Cup.
Chelsea ranks tenth in the league, 10 points behind the top four and qualified for the Champions League, with 25 points, six points behind Fulham, who advanced to sixth place with 31 points.
The loss comes to increase the pressure on coach Graham Potter, who assumed his duties at the beginning of the season after the dismissal of his German predecessor Thomas Tuchel after seven matches since the start of the league, as the London club suffers from difficult conditions at all levels and a long series of absences, led by Frenchman Ngolo Kante, Ben Chilwell and Senegalese goalkeeper Edwards. Mendy, Rhys James, Christian Pulisic and Raheem Sterling.
At Craven Cottage Stadium, the start of the match was contrary to Chelsea’s third expectations last season, as it conceded a thunderbolt goal in the 25th minute by Brazilian Willian, a former Chelsea player for seven years (2013-2020), after an error in dispersing the ball from the Blues defense, to reach the ball The latter hit a ball that passed between the feet of defender Trefouh Chaloban directly into the goal (25).
The London team wasted several opportunities to equalize, while Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno ensured that many balls were removed.
In the second half, the guests waited only two minutes to equalize through Senegalese Khalido Coulibaly (47) after a free kick was won by Louis Hull and executed by Mason Mount. His shot hit the post, to return and reach Coulibaly, who followed it into the goal despite the defensive bloc.
In the 58th minute, Felix was sent off in his first match in the Chelsea shirt, after his strong intervention on the Dutch player Fulham, Tite.
Despite Felix’s expulsion, Chelsea continued his pressure and his quest to snatch the lead, so Leno blocked an attempt by his compatriot Kai Havertz (63), but the owners of the land took full advantage of the numerical advantage to regain the lead through Brazilian Carlos Vinicius after a decisive pass from the Belgian Andreas Pereira (73).
Potter tried with all his might before the end of the match to tie the game, after pushing Moroccan Hakim Ziyech and Conor Calagher, but his team was unable to get out of his area, so that Fulham maintained its lead until the end.
Bor – Da / Dr H
© 2023 AFP
