Fulham’s fury: King’s strike scrubbed as VAR calls shape 2-0 defeat at Chelsea

Fulham departed Stamford Bridge empty-handed and aggrieved after two major VAR interventions framed Chelsea’s 2-0 win. Josh King’s tidy 21st-minute finish was wiped out when Rob Jones, after a pitchside review prompted by VAR Michael Salisbury, deemed Rodrigo Muniz’s contact on Trevoh Chalobah a 'careless challenge' in the buildup; in the second half, a handball by Ryan Sessegnon led to Enzo Fernández converting from the spot.

Between those calls, João Pedro headed Chelsea in front in the ninth minute of first-half stoppage time, a bitter blow given Marco Silva’s side had bossed much of the opening period. Fulham kept pushing after the interval, but on an afternoon of long delays the big moments went against them.

The goal that changed everything—then never counted

Released by Sander Berge, King burst clear, cut inside and slid a low finish into the bottom corner for what should have been a landmark first for his boyhood club. There were no major appeals in real time; Muniz had simply shielded the ball with his back to goal seconds earlier, inadvertently treading on Chalobah’s foot as the defender challenged.

After a long look at the monitor, Jones chalked it off. The reaction was scathing: Danny Murphy called it 'the worst decision I’ve seen this season', former referee Mike Dean said it was a 'poor, poor call', and Jamie Carragher labelled VAR 'shocking'. The decision bled momentum, stretched the half and, ultimately, altered its course.

Nine extra minutes, one free header

The stoppages produced a heavy chunk of added time and Chelsea used it. Enzo Fernández’s corner reached João Pedro, who rose unmarked to glance his header beyond Bernd Leno for 1-0. From a position of control, Fulham found themselves behind with the last action of the half.

Up to then, the visitors were sharper and bolder. Sasa Lukic and Berge set a sturdy platform in midfield, King stitched attacks together, and only a last-ditch intervention from Moisés Caicedo denied Timothy Castagne a clear opening. The concession hurt precisely because the half had been theirs.

Another review, another blow

Early after the restart, the officials were back at the screen. Trevoh Chalobah’s ball into the box struck Sessegnon’s raised arm and, after a four-minute check that also examined a possible João Pedro handball and a Caicedo foul on Alex Iwobi, the penalty was given. Fernández buried it for 2-0.

Silva sent on Raúl Jiménez and Harry Wilson to chase the game, and Leno produced saves from Estêvão Willian and João Pedro to keep the score in reach, but the decisive swings had already arrived courtesy of the reviews.

Performance worth taking forward

Remove the controversy and there was a strong skeleton: compact lines, quick breaks, and a confident 18-year-old King knitting play. On another day, the 21st-minute finish stands and the storyline looks very different.

Silva’s anger was evident, but he tempered his public comments to avoid sanctions. The task now is to carry the level of performance into the next fixtures after the break and ensure that, when the margins are this fine, the decisive moments tilt black-and-white rather than blue.