Chelsea suffered a Boxing Day heartbreak as they squandered a lead to lose 2-1 to Fulham at Stamford Bridge. The defeat marked a late collapse for Enzo Maresca’s side, who were in control for large portions of the match but fell victim to two second-half goals from the hosts.

The Blues looked to be cruising after Cole Palmer’s stunning individual effort put them ahead. The 22-year-old weaved through Fulham’s defence before calmly slotting home his 12th Premier League goal of the season. In doing so, Palmer etched his name into the club’s history books, becoming Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer in a calendar year with an impressive 26 goals.

However, Marco Silva’s side staged a spirited comeback in the second half. Fulham’s substitutes made an instant impact, with Harry Wilson leveling the score and Rodrigo Muniz delivering a stoppage-time winner that stunned Chelsea.

Speaking to Amazon Prime Sport after the game, Palmer expressed his frustration with Chelsea’s inability to manage the match in the closing stages.

“We were winning for the majority of the game, but to lose at the end, it’s difficult,” Palmer said. “I think the first half we played well, we controlled the game. We had quite a few chances. In the second half, we just lose a bit of control.”

The England international highlighted Fulham’s strengths in transition and Chelsea’s failure to counteract them effectively.

“They are a good transition team, Fulham, direct, so we got caught up with their game and paid the price. I don’t think we lost any intensity; we just lost control of the game and turned it into a game that they’re better at—running and stuff.”

Palmer also called for better game management from the team in future matches. “We need to try and manage the game a bit better,” he added.

The defeat is a setback for Chelsea as they continue their push for a top-four finish, and Maresca will no doubt be eager to address the issues raised by Palmer ahead of their next fixture.