Chelsea came back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory against London rivals Fulham in the Premier League. This was a desperately needed victory for Frank Lampard’s men who had lost four of their last six Premier League games.
Mason Mount’s strike in the 78th minute was the sole goal scored in the match and was enough to secure all three points for the Blues. Chelsea will look to capitalize on this form as they face Leicester City next in the league.
Frank Lampard presented a different team to what was expected from the fans and it didn’t go down well in the supporting community. The absence of Callum Hudson Odoi from the starting line up infuriated a lot of fans.
Christian Pulisic started along with Hakim Ziyech and Olivier Giroud led the front line. Hudson Odoi’s exclusion was extremely unexpected as he has scored in both of the matches against Manchester City and Morecambe respectively.
Cesar Azpillecueta came in place of injured Reece James who did find a spot on the bench but start after he suffered a hamstring injury. Eduoard Mendy returned to goal and Antonio Rudiger partnered Thiago Silva in defense.
In the absence of N’Golo Kante who was out due to a suspension, Jorginho came into the midfield and presented a below-par performance over-all. Along with him came Chelsea’s player of the season last year Matteo Kovacic and Mason Mount.
Thiago Silva under trouble after a violation of coronavirus protocols
Mason Mount scored the lone goal in the 78th minute to secure the win for Chelsea. A delivery from Ben Chilwell was weakly cleared away by Fulham and Mason Mount volleyed in the loose ball with a fierce shot.
However, defender Thiago Silva is facing disciplinary hearings after his actions at the end of the match. In a nice gesture, Thiago Silva decided to give away his match jersey to a construction worker at the Fulham FC stadium.
But this has come under the scrutiny of the Premier League authorities who have laid down some strict protocols by which everyone has to abide. Authorities are trying their best to minimize contact between players and staff and helpers as well.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic exchanging of T-shirts is strictly prohibited and not allowed. Hence Thiago Silva’s decision to do so with a construction worker may not be the best choice although the player was doing something good at heart.
The Premier League has released strict new protocols that prevent any swapping or giving away of match-worn jerseys in a bid to control the spread of the virus.
Everton winger Richarlison did something similar when Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton visited Fulham. Richarlison did not receive any punishment for his antics at that point in time. It remains to be seen if Thiago Silva will be at the receiving end of disciplinary action after this.
