The midfielder was clearly the man of the match and not just for his timely winning goal. He drove us forward from the off, created chances, threatened the opposition goal and competed fiercely in a congested middle third.

Mount recorded seven key passes, with no other player on the pitch making more than two. He scored with one of his four attempts, and hit the bar with another. Only Hakim Ziyech had more shots on goal.

Mount’s three successful dribbles was a game-high figure, and he wasn’t dispossessed during the game once.

His pass completion rate was 91 per cent, slightly higher than the team average of 88 per cent. That equated to 63 of his 69 passes finding a Chelsea player. He took five corners of which four were met by a man in blue.

In the final third, Mount completed 29 of his 31 passes, both game-high figures.

The 22-year-old also got stuck in defensively, winning three tackles. Only Cesar Azpilicueta, with four, won more in our team.

Patience pays

Fulham had conceded three goals in their previous six games and it was obvious why.

Between them, Fulham’s three central defenders won 10 aerial duels, and made 23 clearances and eight interceptions.

The home side blocked eight of our 21 attempts at goal. Of that total tally, eight came before the red card, eight were struck from outside the box, and five stemmed from set-pieces.

Our possession rose from 62 per cent before the red card to 77 per cent after it, although each of Fulham’s three attempts on target came in the final quarter of the game.

SW6 bragging rights remain

The victory extended our winning run against our nearest neighbours to seven straight games. We have now not lost to them in 19 matches dating back to 2006.

Our unbeaten run at Craven Cottage is now stands at 10 games, with seven victories and three draws in that time.