Harry Wilson delivered again for Fulham, scoring the late winner in a 2-1 victory over 10-man Chelsea that kept a strong personal season moving into record territory and extended Fulham’s growing confidence in West London derbies at Craven Cottage.
Marco Silva underlined how central Wilson has become to Fulham’s attack, stressing that the forward is now operating at a different level and backing that opinion with praise for Wilson’s contribution across the entire campaign, not just this latest decisive display against Chelsea.
Wilson struck the decisive goal with nine minutes left, guiding a controlled half-volley beyond the Chelsea goalkeeper to settle a tight contest, after already seeing one effort disallowed in the first half when Raul Jimenez
moved too early in the build-up and was flagged offside.
By full time Wilson had either scored or assisted 11 Premier League goals for Fulham this season, with seven goals and four assists, a personal best for direct goal involvements in a single top-flight campaign and matching the seven-goal league haul recorded in the 2019-20 season.
| Player | Competition | Season | Goals | Assists | Total Involvements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Wilson | Premier League | 2025-26 | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| Harry Wilson | Premier League | 2019-20 | 7 | - | 7 goals (best before 2025-26) |
Silva highlighted Wilson’s all-round influence when speaking on BBC Match of the Day, describing how the forward has grown into Fulham’s key attacking reference point and stressing that Wilson is delivering both in terms of work rate and end product during a demanding run of fixtures.
Silva said of Wilson: "Everything he does is something. What a finish for the disallowed goal. Hes in a top moment. He's in the best moment of his career so far. Hes helping the team. What a season from him. "
The Fulham head coach felt the result reflected his team’s work over the 90 minutes, especially as Chelsea’s players looked eager to impress with new head coach Liam Rosenior watching from the stands while interim boss Calum McFarlane continued to take charge on the touchline.
Chelsea changes and Fulham fans' response to derby win
Chelsea’s evening became harder in the first half when Marc Cucurella brought down Wilson and was sent off for a professional foul, leaving the visitors short-handed before Jimenez put Fulham ahead in the 55th minute with a composed finish that capped the numerical advantage.
Even after taking control through Jimenez, Fulham had to manage Chelsea’s threat on transitions, as Silva noted that several counter-attacks still troubled the defence, although Fulham generally dictated possession while searching for the second goal that eventually arrived from Wilson.
Silva expanded on the overall performance and workload across the squad, referencing both tactical tweaks and physical effort while also acknowledging how the Fulham support has started to enjoy meetings with Chelsea after years of difficult results in this specific London rivalry.
Silva said: "We never expect to win a game if we dont work hard, Silva added. We knew we controlledthe game. We had to be aware, with some transitions, we gave them a chance. We deserved the three points and did more to win the game. We changed with the substitution of Kevin to be much more offensive. Most of these players played three games in seven days. Its an incredible effort from these guys and they deserve all the credit. We had to be patient.It was a great win for these guys [fans]. In the past, the fans werent used to winning against their neighbours. But theyre getting great feelings now. "
There's only one team in Fulham. pic.twitter.com/qGzcQIzUp7 Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) January 7, 2026
The result leaves Fulham with another morale-boosting derby success, a standout individual campaign for Wilson, and a performance that Silva felt showed both tactical control and resilience against a Chelsea side adjusting to Rosenior’s appointment but still able to pose moments of danger.
