Chelsea pay price for Cucurella red card in defeat at Fulham

Incoming head coach Liam Rosenior watched from the stands as 10-man Chelsea lost 2-1 to rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson were the Fulham scorers either side of an equaliser in the second half from Liam Delap, but the story once again was Chelsea’s inability to keep 11 players on the pitch, Marc Cucurella dismissed midway through the first half for denying Wilson a goalscoring chance.

Former Blues boss Enzo Maresca took to Instagram on Tuesday to boast of his Chelsea legacy but chief amongst the artefacts he bestows to his successor is a chronic discipline problem.

This was the seventh red card the team had received this season and the third time in the league they had gone down to 10 in the first half. Equally concerning for Rosenior – who starts work officially on Thursday morning – will have been the sight of three Chelsea players talking themselves into a booking over their protests.

It had up to then been an even match. Wilson, fresh from his goal against Liverpool on Sunday, found space for a couple of early shots hit straight at Robert Sanchez. Chelsea were then inches from a goal when Enzo Fernandez’s corner bounced off Andrey Santos and against the bar.

After 20 minutes, Rosenior witnessed first-hand his new team’s propensity to implode. Cucurella appeared to have the edge on Wilson as the pair chased a ball over the top, but clever manoeuvring from the Fulham midfielder gave him an edge that Cucurella could only counter with a pull on the arm that sent Wilson tumbling.

Chelsea could argue that Tosin Adarabioyo was coming round on the cover, but the decision was a red card.

Emile Smith Rowe nearly made Fulham’s advantage count with a wonderful turn and strike from 25 yards that