From Red Card to Revival: Chelsea's Bumpy Night in Fulham
7 January 2026
Red Card Shakes Chelsea in Fulham Clash
Chelsea suffered a major setback in their ongoing Premier League match at Craven Cottage, in Gameweek 21.
In the 22nd minute, a clever through ball from Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno released Harry Wilson, who bore down on Chelsea's goalkeeper Robert Sánchez before being fouled by Mark Kokurila.
The referee did not hesitate to show a straight red to Kokurila, triggering protests from Chelsea players as Enzo Fernández and Cole Palmer picked up yellow cards and Fulham manager Marco Silva was booked for arguing that a penalty should have been awarded instead of a foul near the edge of the box.
Chelsea coach then made their first substitution, bringing on Hato for André Santos, as the scoreline remained level.
According to Opta, Chelsea have received five red cards in the Premier League this season, a tally matched only by their 2007-2008 campaign which saw six red cards.
Chelsea are looking to rediscover their winning form after four winless outings, having drawn with Newcastle United (2-2), Bournemouth (2-2), and Manchester City (1-1), and losing to Aston Villa (2-1).
Season Struggles and Stats
Despite the setback, the Blues continue to chase consistency in a season of tight margins in the Premier League.
Fans and analysts will be watching whether the team can recover quickly and rebuild rhythm as the season progresses.
Punchline 1: If Chelsea keep racking up red cards, perhaps their best strategy is "defense by subtraction"—subtract the players, not the goals.
Punchline 2: In football, as in stand-up, sometimes the joke is on the defense: a red card is the referee's microphone dropping in the middle of the set.
