HARRY WILSON and Rodrigo Muniz came off the bench to stun Chelsea and end Fulham’s 45-year Stamford Bridge hoodoo.
The Blues were leading through Cole Palmer’s classy early goal and looking on course for an eighth win in nine matches to keep the heat on Premier League leaders Liverpool.
But Wilson equalised with eight minutes remaining and Muniz struck deep into stoppage time to secure a 2-1 victory and Fulham’s first win at their west London rivals since 1979.
In fact, it was 13 years to the day since Fulham last even scored at the Bridge, with Clint Dempsey on target in a 1-1 draw.
So the omens were certainly against them when Palmer fired Chelsea ahead in the 16th minute.
There did not look to be much on when Levi Colwill played the ball into Palmer’s feet about 40 yards out.
But the England star burst into life, turning away from Andreas Pereira and gliding past Sasa Lukic towards the edge of the box.
Palmer then applied the finish, almost nonchalantly passing the ball through the legs of defender Issa Diop and into the corner of Bernd Leno’s goal.
It was Palmer’s 26th league strike of 2024, beating the Chelsea record for Premier League goals scored in a calendar year set by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 2001.
The 22-year-old almost bagged another moments later, with a nutmeg on the edge of the box followed by a low drive which was well kept out by Leno.
The Fulham goalkeeper came to the rescue again when he dived to claw away Marc Cucurella’s header from an Enzo Fernandez free-kick.
But Fulham had their chances too in the first half, not least when Calvin Bassey embarked on a mazy run from inside his own half.
The full-back cut in between two Chelsea defenders before his shot was eventually held, at the second attempt, by Robert Sanchez.
Leno made a spectacular save early in the second half to tip a Fernandez drive over the crossbar.
From the corner, Palmer swung in a cross which was nodded in by Colwill, but the defender was flagged offside.
But Chelsea began to let Fulham come at them and Alex Iwobi sent a curling shot just wide before Sanchez kept out Antonee Robinson from close range.
Fulham must have thought it was not going to be their day, again, when Sanchez brilliantly saved a header from Muniz.
But with eight minutes left Iwobi raided down the right — knocking over Pedro Neto as he went — before playing in Robinson.
The Fulham captain’s cross was headed back across goal by Timothy Castagne for Wilson to glance in at the far post.
Then, four minutes into stoppage time, Chelsea left more gaps at the back and Lukic squared for Muniz to bury in the bottom corner and snatch a memorable win for the visitors.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou during the Premier League match at the City Ground. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest strengthened their European ambitions with a 1-0 win over Tottenham, whose miserable season took a turn for the worse.
Anthony Elanga’s first-half goal was enough for Forest to consolidate their position in the top four as the mist gathered at City Ground and the outlook keeps getting gloomier for under-pressure Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou.
The embattled Australian watched his side lose for a fifth time in eight Premier League games and the pressure is growing as they languish in the bottom half of the table after a first Boxing Day defeat since 2003.
While Spurs, who had Djed Spence sent off at the death, ponder a season of mediocrity, Forest are daring to dream after posting a fourth successive Premier League win for the first time since 1995.
They have already surpassed their points total from last season and are looking like genuine contenders for European qualification, which outlines the impressive job Nuno Espirito Santo has done at the City Ground.
Alexander Isak struck for the 10th time in 10 Premier League games as Newcastle ripped 10-man Aston Villa apart to climb into the top five.
Anthony Gordon had fired the hosts into a second-minute lead, but a tight game changed with Villa striker Jhon Duran’s first-half dismissal for stamping on defender Fabian Schar and Isak took full advantage with a second – 14 minutes after the break, his 12th goal of the season – before Joelinton cemented a 3-0 win at the death.
It might have been more on a day when the Magpies saw three further goals ruled out, while goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was in fine form, but he could not prevent the visitors from extending their miserable run without a win on Tyneside to 17 games in front of a crowd of 52,168.
High-flying Bournemouth stretched their unbeaten run to six Premier League games but had to settle for a point after being held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace.
Having amassed 13 points from the last 15 available following Sunday’s thumping 3-0 win away to Manchester United, the Cherries were unable to break down a Palace side hammered 5-1 by Arsenal at the weekend.
Oliver Glasner’s side had their fair share of the limited clear opportunities of an even Vitality Stadium stalemate as they made it four top-flight away games without defeat.
Bournemouth drop to sixth – below Newcastle on goal difference – after failing to score for the first time in 11 matches, dating back to a 1-0 loss at Leicester on October 5.
Jarrod Bowen’s 59th-minute goal gave West Ham a 1-0 win at bottom of the table Southampton after the visitors saw Guido Rodriguez’s red card overturned by VAR.
It was a frustrating start for new Saints boss Ivan Juric, who has replaced the sacked Russell Martin.
English Premier League 3pm results:
Bournemouth 0 Crystal Palace 0
Chelsea 1 (Palmer 16) Fulham 2 (Wilson 82, Muniz 90+5)
Newcastle 3 (Gordon 2, Isak 59, Joelinton 90+1) Aston Villa 0
Nottingham Forest 1 (Elanga 28) Tottenham 0
Southampton 0 West Ham 1 (Bowen 59)
Additional reporting by AFP
