Chelsea end goal drought with 2-0 victory over Fulham

Chelsea secured a much-needed 2-0 victory against Fulham in a West London derby, breaking their goal-scoring drought. 

Mykhailo Mudryk scored his first goal for Chelsea, and Armando Broja added another, both goals coming within a minute during the first half.

Mudryk's moment arrived in the 18th minute when he calmly converted a cross from Levi Colwill. Broja capitalized on a defensive blunder by Fulham's Tim Ream just a minute later, extending Chelsea's lead with a fortunate deflection into the net.

Chelsea displayed a bright start but had previously struggled to find the net, managing only five goals in their previous six league matches. The win elevated Chelsea to 11th place in the Premier League, giving a much-needed boost to manager Mauricio Pochettino, who had been under pressure due to their goal-scoring woes.

Mudryk, who had been signed by Chelsea nine months ago, finally broke his goal drought, and Broja celebrated his first start since returning from injury. The team's overall performance pleased Pochettino, who emphasized the importance of building confidence.

Ian Maatsen nearly extended Chelsea's lead in the second half, hitting the post with a powerful strike. Despite Fulham's efforts to get back into the game, they couldn't find the net, with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez making a crucial save.

Pochettino downplayed injury concerns for some players, including Broja, Moises Caicedo, and Enzo Fernandez, and highlighted the positive aspects of the team's performance.

Fulham's coach, Marco Silva, expressed disappointment with the soft goals conceded by his team and stressed the need to improve their decision-making and effectiveness in front of the goal. Despite the absence of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who left for Al-Hilal in August, Silva remained focused on his current squad's development.