EPL: George, Neto fire Chelsea to late Derby win over Fulham

Teenager Tyrique George and Pedro Neto were the heroes as Chelsea snatched a late 2-1 win over Fulham in a dramatic London derby, keeping their Champions League hopes alive.

Chelsea looked set for another disappointing away day after going behind in the first half to a strike from Nigeria’s Alex Iwobi.

The Blues, who hadn’t won in their last eight Premier League away matches, struggled to respond as Fulham held onto their lead for over an hour.

However, 19-year-old George made a big impact after coming off the bench, scoring his first Premier League goal with a sharp first-time finish from the edge of the box. Moments later, Pedro Neto added a second to complete the comeback and seal all three points for the visitors.

And, in virtually a carbon copy of December’s thrilling finale at Stamford Bridge, when Fulham scored twice late on to snatch a 2-1 win, it was the Blues’ turn to complete a stirring comeback in stoppage time.

Neto spun on a sixpence in the Fulham area to hit an unstoppable half-volley that flew past Cottagers keeper Bernd Leno and spark wild celebrations among the travelling support.

The win lifts Chelsea back into the Champions League qualification places in fifth on goal difference from Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, while Fulham remain ninth as their own dreams of securing European football suffered a shattering blow.