Pedro Neto struck a thunderous late winner in stoppage time to hand Chelsea a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over west London rivals Fulham, with Academy product Tyrique George playing a crucial role in the turnaround.
Alex Iwobi had earlier fired Fulham ahead with a composed finish midway through the first half, and it seemed the home side were on course for all three points as the clock ticked toward the final 10 minutes.
However, substitute Tyrique George made an instant impact just five minutes after being introduced, calmly slotting into the bottom corner to level things up at 1-1.
Then, deep into injury time, it was Pedro Neto, Chelsea’s liveliest player all afternoon, who completed the comeback.
He pounced inside the area and rifled in from close range to lift the Blues into fifth place, back in contention for a Champions League spot.
Enzo Maresca shuffled his pack with seven changes to his starting XI. Robert Sanchez returned between the sticks, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill were reinstalled in central defence, while Reece James moved back to his usual right-back role after a midfield outing against Legia Warsaw.
In midfield, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez resumed duties, while Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto were deployed on the wings. Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson kept their places in attack.
Fulham had an early goal ruled out for offside, with Ryan Sessegnon clearly ahead of the defence — a fact quickly confirmed by VAR.
Chelsea then built momentum, with Palmer forcing a save from distance, Jackson coming close after some nimble footwork, and Neto delivering teasing balls from the flank.
Yet it was Fulham who drew first blood. James lost possession in his own half to Sessegnon, who laid it off to Iwobi. The Nigerian international took a touch before drilling a low, left-footed effort from just inside the box into the far corner.
The hosts pushed for more, seeing another shot blocked and Sander Berge narrowly missing with a diving header.
Neto remained Chelsea’s standout threat, delivering a menacing cross that eluded Jackson and Madueke.
The visitors nearly drew level before the break when Jackson’s shot, destined for the bottom corner, was blocked.
Trailing 1-0 at the interval, Maresca rang the changes, bringing on Malo Gusto and Jadon Sancho for James and Madueke.
The substitutions brought immediate energy, with Gusto firing a long-range effort and Neto being denied from close range by Bernd Leno.
Chelsea dominated after the restart. Sancho tested Leno after cutting inside, and Marc Cucurella saw a shot cleared off the line by Calvin Bassey with the goalkeeper beaten.
Palmer also went close, sending a shot over from just inside the area as the Blues piled on the pressure.
Then came the moment for 19-year-old George, who made his mark in only five minutes of being on the pitch. A loose ball came his way on the edge of the box, and the forward struck it first-time into the bottom corner to level the score.
With both teams chasing a winner, Neto again tested Leno at his near post. But in the third minute of added time, the Portuguese winger made no mistake, lashing the ball into the roof of the net from near the penalty spot to seal a thrilling win.
The result puts Chelsea level on 57 points with sixth-placed Nottingham Forest and seventh-placed Aston Villa. Manchester City sit just a point ahead in fourth, while Newcastle United are two points clear with five matches remaining.
The Blues return to Stamford Bridge next, hosting David Moyes’ Everton on Saturday at 12.30pm, live on TNT Sport in the UK.
