Drogba 73      Gera 4

                                                             Smalling (og) 75

Chelsea squeaked past their West London rivals as Stamford Bridge thanks to a bizarre own goal fifteen minutes from time by Cottagers’ debutant Chris Smalling.

It is said that genuine title contenders need the ability to win while playing badly. And Chelsea did just that, being disjointed and defensively chaotic from the moment Zoltan Gera put Fulham ahead on four minutes.

They relied upon flashes of inspiration from Didier Drogba for their attacking threat and confusion reigned in their own box as keeper Petr Cech had a series of comic misunderstandings with defensive colleagues.

Yet somehow, they emerged with the points, which were vital as they now enter a month without their African internationals, including Drogba, who will be in Angola for their continent’s Cup of Nations.

Fulham, surprisingly tipped as top-four contenders by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger at the weekend, were gifted the best possible start.

Chelsea centre-backs Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry misread a Paul Konchesky cross from the left, allowing Gera time to turn and hook the ball into the net from eight yards.

Drogba was twice denied by Fulham’s Australian international keeper Mark Schwarzer, the first save from a spectacular long-range right-foot volley.

But the visitors were comfortable, even without injured centre-half Brede Hangeland, until defensive colleague John Pantsil joined him on the proverbial treatment table.

And they could even have doubled their advantage shortly after the break when Bobby Zamora latched onto a lazy chested backpass from Carvalho and saw his shot blocked by a belatedly-alert Cech.

However, with eighteen minutes remaining, Chelsea breached Fulham’s recently reorganised rearguard, Drogba heading home a far-post, right-wing cross by substitute Branislav Ivanovic.

Three minutes later, Schwarzer produced a terrific left-handed save from Daniel Sturridge, only for the ball to rebound off Smalling and bobble over the line.

And Salomon Kalou nearly added insult to injury, rattling the crossbar in stoppage time.