Benitez barracked during derby stalemate

Chelsea 0 Fulham 0

Rafael Benitez was again barracked by some of the home fans as Chelsea’s second game under the Spaniard ended in another stalemate.

He did little to endear himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful – who again chanted the name of his sacked predecessor Roberto Di Matteo – by leaving out Juan Mata.

The Spanish playmaker was dropped to the bench along with John Mikel Obi, with Oriol Romeu and Ryan Bertrand starting.

Mata was brought on just after the hour mark, but Chelsea still struggled to create openings until Fernando Torres had a goal-bound effort cleared by Aaron Hughes.

Torres had the only real opportunity in a turgid first half.

He saw his shot saved by Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer after being found by Cesar Azpilicueta’s right-wing cross.

Fulham fully deserved a draw and might have taken all three points had John Arne Riise not missed a great chance 10 minutes into the second half.

He chested down Giorgos Karagounis’ fine cross-field pass but then scuffed his shot, poking the ball straight at keeper Petr Cech.

Riise also had a deflected effort saved by Cech as Fulham continued to threaten on the counter-attack.

And the Whites felt they should have had a late penalty when substitute Kerim Frei went down under a challenge from Ramires.

Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole, Romeu, Ramires, Hazard (Marin 82), Oscar, Bertrand (Mata 63), Torres.
Subs not used: Turnbull, Mikel, Moses, Ferreira, Cahill.

Fulham: Schwarzer, Riether, Senderos, Hughes, Riise, Duff, Diarra (Baird 64), Sidwell, Karagounis (Frei 74), Rodallega (Petric 83), Berbatov.
Subs not used: Etheridge, Kasami, Dejagah.

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