- Pedro scores in 4th minute
- Arrizabalaga makes 3 saves
- Loftus-Cheek puts it to bed
Chelsea outlasted a game Fulham thanks to an early goal from Pedro and late insurance from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, claiming London Derby honors with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The Blues go third for the moment, a point better than Chelsea and three ahead of Arsenal before the North London Derby (Watch live at 9:05 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com).
Fulham sits bottom of the table with eight points, two points back of 17th.
[ MORE: Watch full PL match replays ]
Fulham’s Cyrus Christie dribbled 40 yards for a shot on Kepa Arrizabalaga before the match was a half-minute old.
Pedro danced around weak defending to make it 1-0 three minutes later, with N’Golo Kante stealing a sloppy Fulham touch and slipping the Spaniard into Sergio Rico’s office for a cutback and finish.
Calum Chambers hit a 20-yard shot at Arrizabalaga at the quarter-hour mark.
At the other end, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard put Olivier Giroud into the path of Rico as the Fulham goalkeeper managed another stop.
Azpilicueta then cued up Giroud for a chance Rico did well to stop in the 43rd minute.
[ MORE: Latest Premier League standings ]2 - N’Golo Kante has provided as many assists in 14 league games for Chelsea this season (2) as he had in his first two seasons with the club combined (69 appearances). Morphed.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 2, 2018
[ MORE: Full lineups, stats, box score ]
Fulham’s second half challenge started well, with Antonio Rudiger forced to stop a bid to meet Mitrovic followed by an Arrizabalaga save on Chambers off the ensuing corner.
Chelsea sub Alvaro Morata missed an in-tight bid to cut an Eden Hazard rebound on goal in the 73rd.
It was another sub who made it 2-0, as Loftus-Cheek left no doubt when presented with a Hazard square ball in the right of the box.