Unlikely scorers Mudryk and Broja fire Chelsea past Iwobi's Fulham

Unlikely scorers Mudryk and Broja fire Chelsea past Iwobi's Fulham

Faruq Ibrahim 22:11 - 02.10.2023

Chelsea string wins together for the first time since August as they followed up their Brighton win with a triumph over West London neighbours Fulham.

Mykhaylo Mudryk scored his first official goal for Chelsea, while Armando Broja found the back of the net for the first time since 2022—only his second for the club—as Chelsea beat Fulham.

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Mauricio Pochettino's side halted their run of three games without a victory as they shocked Brighton in the EFL Cup last midweek. They have now followed up a win with another one by beating Marco Silva's side, a feat they had not achieved since August when they beat Luton and Wimbledon.

How it happened 

Mudryk retained his place in the starting lineup after his brilliant performance against the Seagulls in the League Cup, and he rewarded Pochettino’s fate by opening the scoring on the day.

The Ukrainians’s run in the left-half space was beautifully picked up by Levi Colwill, who started at left-back. Mudryk collected the ball with poise and then placed it past the charging Bernd Leno to give Chelsea the league. 

The strike at Cravens Cottage was Mudryk’s first for the club in 24 games for the club, and his celebration exhibited the relief he felt.

The former Shakhtar Donetsk winger’s goal in the 18th minute was doubled almost instantly by Broja, who was sidelined by injury for nearly a year and is slowly returning to top physical shape.

The Armenian’s goal was a stroke of luck, as an attempted clearance by Fulham’s Tim Ream ricocheted off him and into the net.

Pochettino and Armando Broja after Fulham vs Chelsea || Image credit: Imago
Pochettino and Armando Broja after Fulham vs Chelsea || Image credit: Imago

The hosts were much better in the second-half after Marco Silva dipped into his bench, including bringing on Alex Iwobi. The Cottagers pressed to reduce the deficit to initiate a comeback, but Chelsea held on to dear three points that took them up to 11th on the log.