Chelsea 1-0 Fulham LIVE: Pedro GOAL; score and Premier League latest updates

Chelsea vs Fulham: Premier League LIVE score, goals and updates from Stamford Bridge

CHELSEA 1-0 FULHAM | PEDRO

Chelsea XI: Kepa, Alonso, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Rudiger, Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Pedro, Hazard, Giroud

Fulham XI: Rico, Sessegnon, Odoi, Mawson, Le Marchand, Chambers, Christie, Seri, Johansen, Cairney, Mitrovic

• Eden Hazard returns from injury, Ross Barkley ruled out
• Pedro opens the scoring inside four minutes

CHELSEA 1-0 FULHAM

HT: Chelsea not really out of second gear and have themselves a handy one-goal advantage thanks to an early strike from Pedro. Fulham have put in a decent shift, but there’s a real lack of quality and poor decision making going forward.

44: Save! It looked for all the world that Chelsea would be heading in with a two-goal advantage but Sergio Rico saves the day. Azpilicueta’s low cross is flicked on by Giroud at the near post – but the Fulham stopper is alert.

41: Eden Hazard weaves his way inside and pulls the trigger on the edge of the area, but his shot is well blocked by Alfie Mawson.

38: Christie loses the ball in midfield and Chelsea are away. Kovacic spots Hazard bursting through the middle but the Belgian is forced wide and the chance goes begging.

There was a half-hearted appeal for a penalty when Johansen appeared to use his arms to stop a cross from Kovacic – but it would have been dead harsh.

35: Lovely passage of play from the visitors. Lots of nice one-touch passes in the final third from Cairney and Seri results in Johansen’s cross being blocked. The corner… fails to beat the first man.

Sorry to keep repeating myself but that’s just criminal at this level and rock-bottom of the league.

33: Criminal. Chances have been few and dar between for Fulham – so when a free-kick opportunity presents itself – you have to make it count. Johansen doesn’t and floats a set-piece straight out of play.

30: Now that looked a decent chance. Fulham win a free-kick 15 yards inside Chelsea territory and Le Marchand finds Odoi in the penalty area. Unfortunately for the visitors, he heads it away from goal.

Hold the phone! We’ve got a David Luiz spectacular coming up… the Brazilian sends the other Chelsea players away and sets the ball down 35-yards out… blocked. Rather poor.

27: Always amusing to hear Sky Sports having to apologise for a hearty rendition of: “Your support is f***** s***”” from Fulham fans.

24: David Luiz lofts a ball over to Pedro, who tries to improvise with a spinning back-heel. You’ve got to be Olivier Giroud to attempt trickery like that, Pedro.

21: Chelsea retaining the ball nicely in midfield with Jorginho spraying it all over the place. There’s no pressure whatsoever on player in blue and that’s exactly the way Maurizio Sarri’s side like it.

18: Wooosh! Callum Chambers really would be a surprise name on the scoresheet. The defender, who is playing a midfield role today, arrives on the edge of the area but tamely strikes at Kepa.

15: N’Golo Kante playing in a more advanced role today and nearly connects with Marcos Alonso’s dinked through ball. Dennis Odoi is there to usher him out of play.

13: Chelsea enjoying 65 percent possession in these opening stages. What’s more striking is how much time and space Fulham are affording them. Has Claudio Ranieri not watched the Everton and Tottenham games recently?

10: Pedro has scored more Premier League goals in 12 appearances this season (5 goals from 21 shots) than he managed in 31 such games in 2017-18 (4 from 56 shots).

8: Fulham are going to have to do some serious business in the January transfer market. They are still shambolic at the back and look like conceding every time Chelsea venture forward.

6: That was Chelsea’s 1000th goal at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. Just for you stats anoraks in the audience today.

CHELSEA 1-0 FULHAM | PEDRO

4: Remember that bright start Fulham made? It’s no longer so bright.

N’Golo Kante is the architect when battling to win the ball back in midfielder before driving forward and slipping it over to Pedro, who cuts inside and drills it into the far corner.

Perfect start to derby day for Chelsea fans. Will the floodgates open?

3: There’s a bit of zip about Fulham y’know. Christie’s just embarked on a 40-yard run before forcing Kepa into a decent save.

Incidentally, Eden Hazard has scored this season: 7 with Olivier Giroud, 0 with Alvaro Morata…

CHELSEA 0-0 FULHAM

1: And we’re underway. Fingers crossed we don’t have a referee like the one judging Tyson Fury against Deontay Wilder. That reminds me, Mike Dean is officiating Arsenal vs Tottenham after this fixture.

Here they come…

11:55: And the first derby of the day is nearly underway. A miraculous result today would move Fulham off of the bottom and up to 17th place.

Euro 2022

11:50: England appear to have been granted a comfortable-looking passage to Euro 2020.

Gareth Southgate’s men, who reached the World Cup semi-finals in the summer, will take on the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Kosovo next year to reach the finals, which will be staged in cities across the continent.

Northern Ireland were handed an extremely tough-looking draw and will face Holland and Germany, as well as Estonia and Belarus in Group C.

The Republic of Ireland had initially been drawn into Group C but could not take a place there due to there being too many host countries in one group, so Mick McCarthy’s team were instead placed in Group D alongside Switzerland, Denmark, Georgia and Gibraltar.

Twitter round-up

Alan: I really can’t see how Johansen could fit in this s formation! Where is Luciano Vietto?

Elton: Finally Giroud and Pedro start over Morata, Willian and Ruben made the match day squad. Only criticism is Callum Hudson-Odoi should have made the bench at least. Predict 3-1 win.

Adelekan: It’s Derby day in the Premier league where form is out the window, emotions run high and all that matters is the result.

Shoot more!

11:40: Far be it from me to disrespect a Premier League manager – but that’s Sunday League advice isn’t it? Claudio Ranieri has called on Tom Cairney to shoot more.

“He has to shoot more; he has the quality to shoot, he must improve,” said Ranieri. “Try! It’s no problem, try! I ask him during training ‘shoot at goal, shoot at goal’ but he passes and he passes.

“Maybe when he comes to me on the bench he will realise and say ‘maybe it’s much better if I shoot at goal’.”

Injury…

11:38: The Andre Schurrle mystery has been solved, folks. The former Chelsea star “felt a twinge” yesterday and misses out on the west London derby as a precaution.

Maurizio Sarri has confirmed that Ross Barkley misses out today because of a knock he picked up in Thursday’s win over PAOK.

Euro 2020

11:35: So the Euro 2020 qualifying draw is underway. England were the first team drawn out of the top, top seed – and we’ve avoided Germany. Czech Republic join England. I’ll let you know the full group when this never-ending process ends.

Survival

11:30: I have no shame in admitting that I backed (with cold hard cash) Fulham to be relegated this season. Now I think It’s important to state that I placed this bet with a Fulham fan down the pub before any of their summer signings.

Fulham still prop up the table but are now only two points away from the safety zone. It is their goal difference of minus 19 that has kept them in the basement spot with 33 goals conceded already this season.

I might try a cash out now that Mr Ranieri has arrived…

Claudiooooooooo

11:25: Claudio Ranieri has been being lovely again.

The recently appointed Fulham manager managed at Stamford Bridge from 2000 to 2004 and steered Chelsea to the Champions League semi-finals but although he did not win a trophy he remains a popular figure at the club.

“It’s special because when I meet my former teams, it’s always something special,” Ranieri said. “But for me, playing against Chelsea arrives too soon, because when you play against them you must be attentive. But we are working hard. I hope we can do a good derby.”

Graffiti…

11:20: Tough guy alert! Beware everyone – there’s a Fulham fan with can of spray paint on the loose!

The person has been busy producing just about the poshest graffiti ever outside Stamford Bridge. “Up the Fulham” and “FFC” are really going to strike fear into Chelsea hearts.

Twitter round-up

David: Eden Hazard needs to score today we need to capitalise on Tottenham and Arsenal’s game later on. Prediction is 3-0.

Yours: Very decent team! Surprised Maurizio Sarri went with Olivier Giroud and Pedro! But it’s exactly what I wanted! Let’s do this!

Ally: Giroud Deserves a Start… Granted… But after the performance Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley made recently, and the way Mateo Kovacic and N’Golo Kante played the other day, you aren’t going to give them a chance…

Team news – Fulham

11:10: Fulham make one change as Stefan Johansen comes in for Andre Schurrle, who doesn’t even make the bench. I’ve not read anything about it but you’ve got to assume that’s an injury.

Team news – Chelsea

11:05: Two changes for Maurizio Sarri this afternoon from the side who were comprehensively beaten by Tottenham last week.

Olivier Giroud replaces Alvaro Morata in attack, while Pedro slots in instead of Willian. No room for Ross Barkley in the matchday squad – but there is a start for Eden Hazard.

The Belgian international has shaken off his pesky ankle injury. Terrible news for me obviously, who decided dropping him from my fantasy football side was a good idea.

Starting XI…

11:00: The sides have arrived, and guess what? Eden Hazard starts for Chelsea – alongside Olivier Giroud. I’ll tell you why that combination is so important.

Chelsea XI: Kepa, Alonso, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Rudiger, Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic, Pedro, Hazard, Giroud.

Subs: Caballero, Fabregas, Loftus-Cheek, Zappacosta, Willian, Christensen, Morata.

Fulham XI: Rico, Sessegnon, Odoi, Mawson, Le Marchand, Chambers, Christie, Seri, Johansen, Cairney, Mitrovic.

Subs: Bettinelli, Kebano, Ayite, Ream, Byram, Cisse, Kamara.

Twitter round-up

Amanda: So my ex-husband was a blue, Derby Days where cool. My boyfriend of 6 months is a Kopite and an ex pro footballer so assumes he knows it all anyway – this is our first Derby together. I mean, I don’t want to sound pessimistic but this could be the end for us today

Sam: Fancy Tottenham to win at the Emirates today. Feel like Arsenal have been riding their luck in recent weeks, and Emery still doesn’t really know his best team.

Tom: Cracking line-up of games in the Premier League today. However, you just know that after all the build-up there will be a total of one goal, which is offside and the closest a team gets to scoring after is a Harry Kane free-kick which hits the wall.

Good luck, Amanda. Not sure about that Sam. And Tom… I pray you’re wrong.

Morning…

10:50: Hello everyone and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Premier League.

Fancy watching a derby?

How about three? Because that’s exactly what we’ve got lined up today as the Premier League goes bonkers!

Fulham travel to Chelsea, Liverpool entertain Everton and Tottenham meet Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

We start at Stamford Bridge where new Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri is looking to put one over on his old club Chelsea.

Plenty of local bragging rights up for grabs today ensuring that Monday morning in the office should be even worse than usual for three sets of supporters.

Now let’s see if Eden Hazard is fit enough to start. Team news and line-ups coming up!

CHELSEA vs FULHAM

Eden Hazard is expected to return from an ankle injury for Chelsea, who are set to restore Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, David Luiz, Marcos Alonso and N’Golo Kante to the starting line-up. Olivier Giroud is a doubt after an apparent ankle knock against PAOK.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa remains sidelined for Fulham with an unspecified injury while Kevin McDonald is still out with a hamstring complaint.

Last season: No corresponding fixture

Last five league matches: Chelsea D W W D L; Fulham L L L L W

Top scorers: Eden Hazard (Chelsea) 8; Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) 7

Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)