Pedro Neto fired a spectacular winner in stoppage time as Chelsea’s late show secured a 2-1 win over west-London rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Substitute Tyrique George grabbed an equaliser seven minutes from time to cancel out Alex Iwobi’s 20th-minute strike.
Then Neto’s half-volley clinched a victory that took the Blues above Forest on goal difference in the battle to secure Champions League football.
The result will alleviate some of the pressure on under-fire manager Enzo Maresca.
Raul Jimenez dominating Chelsea’s Levi Colwill in the air was a common theme early on as Fulham mounted pressure.
Then Chelsea skipper Reece James was caught in possession by Fulham’s press and, after Ryan Sessegnon drove forward, his pass to Iwobi saw the Nigeria international use his weaker left foot to find the bottom left corner from the edge of the area.
Chelsea’s lack of confidence was clear to see but they did create a handful of chances which a striker in a better form than nine-goal man Nicolas Jackson could have converted.
The first came a minute before Iwobi’s strike when Noni Madueke’s ball across the box was touched by Jackson into the hands of Bernd Leno. The Senegal striker was then caught on his heels in the area despite an inch-perfect delivery from Neto.
Maresca turned to the bench at half-time with Jadon Sancho coming on for Madueke but the changes initially failed to spark his side into life.
A speculative effort by another substitute Malo Gusto was all the Blues truly had to show for themselves by the hour mark.
Fulham on the other hand remained strong and resolute. The physical prowess of Sander Berge and Calvin Bassey snapped up loose balls against Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer as they gave their rivals little or no space to attack in behind their deep block.
Manager Marco Silva brought on Harry Wilson late on to inject energy but it was 19-year-old Chelsea substitute George who made the impact.
The teenager connected with a half-volley on the edge of the area to open his league account in the 83rd minute to get Chelsea back into the match.
Chelsea had momentum now. They needed something special though to snatch a comeback win. It came three minutes into added time from big money summer signing Neto, who spun on the half turn and leathered in a winner to send the away end into raptures.
[(Gil Vicente FC) Strength]: 1. Gil Vicente FC finished 13th in the league last season. They aim to avoid relegation and fight for a Conference League spot in the new season. Facing FC Porto, the team are motivated to take points in this home game.2. Gil Vicente FC won the recent two games in a row across all competitions. They won 2-0 over CD Nacional in the last league game, smoothly starting wi...
[(Dynamo Dresden) Neutral]: 1. Both sides have never met before, so there were no records to refer to.[(Dynamo Dresden) Weakness]: 1. As the newly promoted team in the 2. Bundesliga, Dynamo Dresden suffered a losing streak in the first two rounds, being demoralized a lot. Facing 1.FSV Mainz 05 in the first game of the DFB-Pokal at home, the team find it hard to secure a win, indicating doubtful mo...
[(Jaro) Strength]: 1. Jaro are 8th in the table and still need points to secure a Championship play-offs spot, indicating full motivation in this match.2. Forward Kerfala Cissoko scored the winner in the last game, helping his side win.3. Jaro won 2-1 over FC Haka in the last game, securing a 2-game winning streak and showing outstanding recent form.4. Jaro were unbeaten with 1 win and 1 draw in t...
[(SC Preussen Munster) Strength]: 1. In the new season, SC Preussen Munster's 3 goals in two league games were scored by 3 players, showing multiple scorers on offense.2. SC Preussen Munster won 4 of the last 5 home games in AH, boasting a decent home trend.[(SC Preussen Munster) Neutral]: 1. SC Preussen Munster drew 1-1 with SC Paderborn 07 in the last 2. Bundesliga game, showing average performa...
[(Rot-Weiss Essen) Strength]: 1. Rot-Weiss Essen are playing in the 3. Liga this season. Despite their inferior strength to their rivals, the team will still go all out to secure a qualification spot in this home game.2. Tobias Kraulich scored a goal in the last game, showing his outstanding form.3. Rot-Weiss Essen scored 2 goals and conceded 2 in the last 2 competitive games, boasting decent offe...
[(IFK Varnamo) Strength]: 1. IFK Varnamo are at the bottom of the table this season. If they want to avoid relegation, they have to go all out for points in every game, indicating strong motivation in this match.2. Kai Meriluoto scored a goal and made an assist in the last game, helping the team tie with IF Elfsborg.3. IFK Varnamo won the last 2 games in AH, demonstrating recent performances in li...
[(Le Mans) Strength]: 1. Le Mans drew with En Avant Guingamp in the last league game, failing to start with a win. In this home match, they are motivated to secure their first win of the new season.2. William Harhouz scored an equalizer before the end of the last game, helping the team tie with En Avant Guingamp.3. Le Mans secured a 3-game winning streak in recent warm-up games at home, showing de...
[(Mirassol FC) Strength]: 1. Mirassol FC midfielder Gabriel Santana scored a goal in the last league game, performing actively.2. Mirassol FC scored 10 goals in the last 5 league games, averaging 2 goals per game, showing full offense.3. Mirassol FC conceded 5 goals in the last 5 league games, with an average of only 1 goal per game.4. Mirassol FC boast reliable home strength, remaining unbeaten w...
[(Leeds United) Strength]: 1. After relegation, Leeds United returned to the Premier League this season as the EFL Championship winners. The team significantly strengthened their squad during the summer transfer window, with the goal of staying in the Premier League this season. For their opening home game against Everton, they are determined to secure a winning start to the league, showing strong...
[(Elche) Strength]: 1. As the newly promoted team this season, Elche are motivated to start with a home win in their debut.2. In the summer window, Elche signed midfielder Federico Redondo, Real Madrid loan forward Alvaro Rodriguez, and Valencia CF striker German Valera.3. Elche finished 22 wins, 11 draws, and 9 losses in the Segunda Division last season, smoothly being promoted as the 2nd-placed ...
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