Summary: A brace from John Terry and stunning strike from David Luiz earned Chelsea a valuable derby win against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The Blues breezed past their west London counterparts on the Thames to claim third spot from Arsenal and give their bid for Champions League qualification a timely boost.
After a bright opening from Cottagers, which saw Bryan Ruiz volley narrowly over in the fifth minute, the visitors took the lead in spectacular circumstances on the half hour.
Picking the ball up 35-yards from goal Luiz blasted an unstoppable drive into the top corner that gave Mark Schwarzer absolutely no chance.
And just before half time the game was settled when Juan Mata whipped over a corner from the right that was headed in by Terry at the near post ahead of Phillipe Senderos.
Mladen Petric spurned two chances after the break to give Fulham a lifeline and with 20 minutes remaining Terry nipped in to bundle the ball home after Fernando Torres flicked on a corner.
Martin Jol post-match…”We couldn’t get the goal we should have had in the first few minutes and we had other chances, but we didn’t get the break. If you didn’t see the game, the result was bit harsh.”
Rafael Benitez post-match…”Obviously to win is very important and to win with a clean sheet and with three goals is important and to win a derby… there are lots of positives today.”
Good night for…John Terry: A welcome return to the side for Terry, who took both of his goals with extreme aplomb. Apart from a few scares the Chelsea skipper soon found his feet once again as the teams defensive cornerstone.
Bad night for…Phillipe Senderos: Failed to pick up Terry for both of his goals and was generally the weak link in Fulham’s back line. Wasteful in possession and, at times, was his own worst enemy with poor positioning.
