A João Pedro header and an Enzo Fernández penalty helped Chelsea get the better of their west London neigbours Fulham in a match dominated by interventions from the video assistant referee (VAR) on Saturday.

Josh King thought he had given the visitors the lead in the first half before the VAR recommended the goal be overturned due to a foul on Trevoh Chalobah by Rodrigo Muniz in the build-up.

Fulham's joy at taking the lead was transformed into a bitter sense of injustice for what remained of the derby following the lengthy pitchside review by referee Robert Jones.

Pedro continued his good start to life at Chelsea with a goal on the stoke of half-time but there was further reason for Fulham's agitation in the second half: a two-fold VAR call that first exonerated Pedro of a foul then penalised Ryan Sessegnon for handball, allowing Fernández to double the lead from the spot.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

---

The best early chances had gone to Fulham, with Joachim Andersen and Alex Iwobi each firing wide, while Chelsea themselves went close when Liam Delap's shot was well blocked by Andersen.

It was to be the limit of Delap's involvement, the new signing sustaining what looked to be a hamstring injury chasing a long ball, leading to his withdrawal after 13 minutes.

King scored what looked to be a wonderful goal midway thorough the half, turning Tosin Adarabioyo inside out at the end of a Fulham break before finishing into the corner, only for referee Jones to determine that Muniz's manoeuvre to dodge Chalobah near the halfway line had constituted a foul.

It was a call that incensed Silva as well as the travelling Fulham support, who shared the view that Muniz had trodden accidentally on the Chelsea defender in the legitimate act of evading a tackle.

Robert Sánchez then saved point-blank from Muniz after a fine ball in from Sessegnon before Moisés Caicedo rescued Chelsea with a last-ditch tackle to stop Timothy Castagne from sweeping Fulham in front.

In first-half stoppage-time, the hosts went in front. Fernández sent over a corner from the left and from six yards out Pedro took two steps back and angled his neck masterfully to direct the ball downwards and in.

Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images

---

Fulham conceded a penalty at the start of the second half when Sessegnon raised an arm to Chalobah's cross.

Another drawn-out VAR check followed to establish that Pedro had not committed a foul seconds earlier and that Sessegnon had made his body "unnaturally bigger" in blocking the cross.

From the spot, Fernandez went straight down the middle for 2-0 and for the first time, Fulham no longer looked sure of themselves.

Estêvão found space to wriggle into the box and drew a smart low stop from Bernd Leno at the near post before the goalkeeper was summoned again to deny Pedro after the defence allowed him a clear run on goal.

Information from PA contributed to this report