Neto’s Dramatic Late Goal Secures Vital Comeback Victory for Chelsea Against Fulham

Chelsea clinched a vital victory in the hunt for UEFA Champions League qualification after staging a late comeback to triumph 2-1 against Fulham in the Premier League, thus ending Fulham’s impressive eight-match unbeaten streak at home.

Fulham has often struggled to secure wins against Chelsea, but they thought they had found the ideal start when Andreas Pereira managed to nudge the ball home from inside the six-yard box.

However, the excitement was short-lived as the offside flag was raised and a brief VAR review confirmed a couple of infringements in the build-up.

This only delayed Chelsea’s troubles, as they soon found themselves trailing.

They paid the price for a lapse in concentration, with Reece James being dispossessed by Ryan Sessegnon, who advanced and laid the ball off to Alex Iwobi. Iwobi then unleashed a powerful left-foot strike from the edge of the area that found the bottom corner.

Chelsea responded positively to going behind, at times pinning Fulham deep in their half, but they struggled to carve out any clear-cut chances as they chased an equaliser.

Fans in the away section were vocal in their demands for more attacking play, yet their calls seemed to have minimal impact on the team’s performance.

After the interval, Chelsea heeded the call from their travelling fans and finally fashioned a significant chance.

Substitute Malo Gusto made an impact, sending in a cross that found Pedro Neto. However, Neto’s powerful shot from 12 yards was thwarted by Bernd Leno’s legs.

Manager Enzo Maresca turned to his experienced players for inspiration, and it seemed they had found the breakthrough when Cole Palmer carved out space in the box. But his effort went horribly wide, leaving Chelsea still searching for an equaliser.

Despite dominating possession throughout the second half, Chelsea finally drew level thanks to academy product Tyrique George, who seized on a loose ball and fired it confidently into the bottom corner.

The momentum had shifted firmly in Chelsea’s favour as the match approached its end, culminating in them finding a decisive winner.

It was a well-deserved goal, as Pedro Neto displayed skill to control the ball, turn, and smash it into the roof of Leno’s net, igniting wild celebrations among the away supporters and propelling Chelsea into the top five.

For Fulham, while the defeat is not devastating, they missed a chance to climb into eighth place, which could provide a pathway to European competition by season’s end, contingent on the outcome of the FA Cup.