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Chelsea beat Fulham 2-0 to bolster their top-four hopes.in the Premier League. The Blues are now five points clear of fifth-placed West Ham United, who have a game in hand, though.
Thomas Tuchel made multiple changes to his team with an eye on the upcoming second-leg game of their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. Reece James, Kai Havertz, and Billy Gilmour started in place of Jorginho, N'Golo Kante and Cesar Azpilicueta. Meanwhile, the Cottagers were without Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was ineligible to play against his parent club.
Fulham started the game brightly, pressing Chelsea high up the field. However, it was the Blues who took the lead in the tenth minute. Kai Havertz slotted the ball into the net calmly after being played through by Mason Mount. The Blues came close to doubling their lead, but Kai Havertz strayed offside, and Hakim Ziyech was denied by an excellent save from Alphonse Areola.
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The visitors came close to levelling the scores in the last minute of the first half, but Chelsea custodian Edouard Mendy stopped a deflected shot from Ola Aina.
The hosts came out strong at the start of the second half and doubled in the 49th minute. After Timo Werner played Kai Havertz through on goal, the former Bayer 04 Leverkusen player finished calmly to double Chelsea's lead on the net.
With the win, Chelsea inch closer to a top-four finish, while Fulham inch closer towards relegation. On that note, let's take a look at the five major talking points from the game.
#1 Fulham inch closer towards relegation
Fulham came into this game nine points behind Newcastle United, who are 17th in the table. The Cottagers had to get something out of this game to have a chance of avoiding relegation.
To their credit, Fulham started brightly but were soon outplayed by Chelsea. The visitors lacked bite in their attack and struggled to create any clear chances during the game.
It has been a difficult season for Scott Parker's side. They have had some good results and performances this season but always looked likely to go down. With only four games left this season, it is unlikely the Cottagers will stay up for another season in the Premier League.
#2 Tammy Abraham starts from the bench for Chelsea
Tammy Abraham has hardly featured under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea. Despite being the Blues' top scorer in all competitions this season, the striker has failed to impress the German manager.
Thomas Tuchel was expected to make changes to his Chelsea side for this game, with an eye on the upcoming second leg against Real Madrid. However, the German manager decided to leave Tammy Abraham on the bench.
Tammy Abraham has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge in recent weeks, something that looks likely to come to fruition with every passing game.
#3 Thomas Tuchel rings in the changes for Chelsea
Thomas Tuchel was expected to make multiple changes to his Chelsea team, as the Blues face Real Madrid in the second-leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday. However, injuries to Antonio Rüdiger and Mateo Kovacic meant the Blues were short of options.
That meant both Mason Mount and Thiago Silva had to start the game. Billy Gilmour was handed a surprise start in midfield. The Scottish midfielder made his first start under Thomas Tuchel and put in a solid shift for Chelsea. In attack, Christian Pulisic was rested, with Hakim Ziyech starting in his place.
Thomas Tuchel said that his players were tired in the last 30 minutes against Real Madrid. So a comfortable victory against Fulham means some of his players will be fresh for the mid-week fixture against the Spanish giants.
As the season moves towards the end, the German manager will need to use the depth of his squad to navigate through the congested schedule.
#4 Kai Havertz makes an impression
Kai Havertz has endured a slow start to his Chelsea career due to a combination of injuries and a tryst with COVID-19.
The forward looked lost under Frank Lampard, as the forward Chelsea manager struggled to find Havertz's best position. However, the arrival of Thomas Tuchel has helped the German forward come into his own at Chelsea.
The German youngster has played as a false 9 under Thomas Tuchel. This change of position has coincided with an upswing in form for the player. The forward was impressive again on Friday, as he put in a Man-of-the-Match display.
The forward scored both goals for Chelsea on the night. But it was his movement and link-up play with his teammates that caught the eye. The youngster has started to show glimpses of his undeniable talent, justifying the huge amount Chelsea spent on him.
Chelsea have been linked with forwards like Romelu Lukaku and Erling Haaland in recent weeks. But if Kai Havertz continues to perform at such a high level, the Blues may not need to splash big money on a new striker.
#5 Turbo Timo or Kobra Kai against Real Madrid?
The exceptional performance by Kai Havertz against Fulham has left Thomas Tuchel with a decision to make for the Real Madrid game.
The Blues have been exceptional under the German manager but have struggled to convert their chances. Timo Werner has been guilty of missing several makeable opportunities. The German forward missed an easy chance against Real Madrid, which could have given Chelsea a first-leg lead in their Champions League semi-final.
Meanwhile, Kai Havertz has shown exceptional finishing prowess in recent weeks. The forward is efficient in front of goal and links up play quite well.
Despite being guilty of missing multiple scoring opportunities, Timo Werner has become an integral part of the Chelsea XI due to his pace. The former RB Leipzig player tops the assist chart for Chelsea, with 13 assists in all competitions.
Thomas Tuchel will have a difficult decision on his hands for the game against Real Madrid. The German manager knows that his team must be efficient in front of goal against the Spanish club. But he will also be aware of the edge Timo Werner's pace provides his team.
It will be intriguing to see which player gets the nod for probably the biggest game of the season for the surging Blues.
