Chelsea caretaker boss Calum McFarlane felt the Blues deserved more from their defeat to Fulham, which came with new head coach Liam Rosenior watching from the stands.

Harry Wilson struck an 81st-minute winner to sink the 10-man Blues after Marc Cucurella was shown a straight red card in the 22nd minute, having denied the Welshman a clear goalscoring opportunity. 

Liam Delap opened his Premier League account for Chelsea to cancel out Raul Jimenez’s opener, but it didn’t prove enough as Wilson sealed the points with an expert finish from the right side of the area.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Chelsea dominated proceedings for much of the second half and came close to scoring on several occasions through Delap, Jorrel Hato and Moises Caicedo.

When asked by BBC Sport if Chelsea deserved more from the game, McFarlane said: “I do, yeah. Fulham had a lot of control and passages of play, but we worked hard.

“We had opportunities to counter. Liam had a big chance. Until the last nine minutes, I was confident we could draw or even nick a win.

“It’s a tough game. The red card is a big factor and changes our gameplan. We did that well other than the first goal. We reacted really well.

“In the second half we had so many opportunities and moments. I’m really glad for Liam to get that goal, it’s been coming. But then Harry Wilson shows a bit of quality in the box and it decides the game.”

Chelsea have received more than twice as many red cards in the Premier League as any other team this season.

Their seasonal record in the Premier League era is six (2007-08). pic.twitter.com/KbNSpXRD9C

— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) January 7, 2026

Cucurella’s sending off highlighted a recurring disciplinary issue for the Blues.

They have received five red cards in the Premier League this season; only in 2007-08 have they ever been given more (six) in a single campaign in the competition.

Meanwhile, their seven red cards across competitions (excluding the Club World Cup) is at least four more than any other Premier League side, with Everton and Tottenham both having received three for the season.

The defeat extended a miserable run for the Blues, who have won just one of their last nine league games (five draws, three losses).

It also marked their first London derby defeat since a 1-0 loss at Arsenal last March, ending their nine-match unbeaten run in league derbies.

McFarlane signed off from his time in charge of the first team, with Rosenior set to take charge for Chelsea’s FA Cup tie against Charlton Athletic on Saturday. 

“It has been amazing,” McFarlane added. “I’ve been coaching since I was 17, so it's been a long time. The last week has been the best experience I’ve ever had.

“That's down to the players, the way they’ve treated us. I'm really fortunate to have been put in that position.

“I spoke to Liam Rosenior the night before the announcement was made, yesterday at the training ground and today. I’m really excited about what he’s going to bring to the team.”