Premier League: VAR controversy, Liam Delap injury mar Chelsea's 2-0 win over Fulham

Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory over Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in a match marked by controversial VAR decisions.Fulham faced disappointment when Josh King's potential opening goal was disallowed after VAR review determined Rodrigo Muniz's accidental collision with Trevoh Chalobah constituted a foul.The situation became more frustrating for Fulham manager Marco Silva when Joao Pedro scored for Chelsea after the designated eight minutes of first-half stoppage time had elapsed.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Chelsea's second goal came through a VAR-reviewed penalty, awarded when Ryan Sessegnon was deemed to have handled a cross, allowing Enzo Fernandez to score from the spot."Unbelievable the goal was disallowed. VAR found something unbelievable like a stamp from Rodrigo. For their second goal our players went with the referee to the screen and they were laughing. A stamp on Alex Iwobi, handball from Joao Pedro and the pushing on Joachim (Andersen). Then after the second corner it was already nine minutes of extra-time. The game didn't stop during the eight minutes, so the game should be stopped after the first corner," Silva said.Chelsea maintained their unbeaten start to three games following their draw with Crystal Palace and 5-1 victory over West Ham.Argentine winger Alejandro Garnacho attended the match at Stamford Bridge after visiting Chelsea's training ground on Friday to complete his transfer from Manchester United.Chelsea striker Liam Delap left the game within 15 minutes due to a hamstring injury sustained while pursuing a long pass.This injury added to Chelsea's concerns, as Cole Palmer was already sidelined with a groin injury, ruling him out of England's upcoming World Cup qualifiers.Delap's expected absence of six to eight weeks may affect Chelsea's plans to loan Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich.The club had already permitted Christopher Nkunku's transfer to AC Milan earlier in the week."Liam's injury doesn't look good. He was full speed, hamstring, so that requires weeks. When you have two strikers, it's enough. When one of them is injured for weeks, probably it's not enough," Maresca added. King appeared to score his first professional goal in the 21st minute after breaking through Chelsea's defence. The 18-year-old forward managed to evade the Chelsea defence and calmly placed the ball past Robert Sanchez.During the build-up, Muniz made contact with Chalobah's foot while turning away from his tackle at the halfway line.Though play continued initially after Chalobah fell, referee Rob Jones reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor and disallowed the goal for a "careless challenge."Silva responded with visible anger, directing his frustration at the fourth official.Substitute Tyrique George, who replaced the injured Delap, nearly scored just before halftime, but Bernd Leno saved his close-range attempt.Chelsea took the lead from the subsequent corner in the ninth minute of stoppage time, as Fernandez's delivery found Pedro, who headed in his second goal of the season.Silva attempted to confront referee Jones at halftime while Fulham supporters expressed their displeasure with chants.The controversy continued in the 56th minute when VAR awarded Chelsea a penalty after Sessegnon blocked Chalobah's cross with his arm away from his body.The decision stood despite reviews of potential fouls by Pedro on Joachim Anderson and a possible handball in the build-up.Fernandez successfully converted the penalty, further intensifying Silva's frustration with the officials.