Andre Schurrle netted a hat-trick as Chelsea maintained their grip on top spot in the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
The German's trio of strikes came in a 17-minute spell after the restart, while Johnny Heitinga added a consolation for Fulham in the closing stages.
Below, Sports Mole has looked back over the clash to determine if the result was a fair one.
Match statistics
Fulham
Shots: 7
On target: 3
Possession: 42%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 14
Chelsea 17
Shots: 7
On target: 58%
Possession: 4
Corners: 13
Fouls:
Was the result fair?
The scoreline was deservedly goalless at the break, but Chelsea were rejuvenated during the second half and were the dominant side from the 46th minute onwards. They created numerous chances and on another day could have won by an even greater margin than two goals.
Fulham's performance
Felix Magath would have gone in at the interval and probably praised his players. They were solid in defence and at times looked a threat on the counter-attack. Those qualities were absent during the second half, though, as their passing became sloppy and there was a clear lack of communication among the defenders for each of Chelsea's goals. The major plus for Magath and his players is that they will not come up against teams of Chelsea's quality every week, and they did enough in the first half to suggest that they won't go down without a fight.
Chelsea's performance
Every time the camera cut to Jose Mourinho during the first half, he looked like a child who has just been punished for misbehaving by having their favourite toy taken away from them. He must have let out his frustration at half time because his players were much better during the second half, thanks largely to the influence of the creative Eden Hazard and Schurrle. What will be concerning the Chelsea boss is his side's defending from corners. Galatasaray took advantage of that weakness during the week and Fulham did the same today.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Andre Schurrle: The German international has not started as many games as he would have liked this season, but he has pressed his claims for a more regular place in the team between now and the end of the season. His three-goal contribution after the restart not only took the game away from the hosts, but also showed a real clinical aspect to his game. With Mourinho bemoaning his lack of firepower recently, he could do worse than turn to Schurrle to ease his woes.
Biggest gaffe
When you are up against the pace that Chelsea possess, the last thing that you should do is play a high line. That's exactly what Fulham did early in the second half, though, and they were duly punished as Schurrle had so much space to exploit. Having reached the edge of the area, the German international had still not been caught by the Fulham defence as he slotted the ball into the net for the first goal of the game.
Referee performance
There was very little for Mark Clattenburg to do, but to his credit he did not stop play unnecessarily and often waited to see how it developed before he awarded a foul. A quiet, yet decent afternoon's work.
What next?
Fulham: The Cottagers are on the road next weekend when they travel to Wales for a clash against fellow relegation candidates Cardiff City.
Chelsea: It's another London derby for Chelsea a week today when Tottenham Hotspur visit Stamford Bridge.
Liam Apicella
