Silva rues ‘missed opportunity’ after Fulham’s derby defeat

Marco Silva admitted it was a “missed opportunity” after his Fulham side suffered a dramatic 2-1 west London derby defeat against Chelsea.

The Whites went ahead in the 20th minute at Craven Cottage through Alex Iwobi.

But they faded in the second half and Chelsea substitute Tyrique George equalised before a stunning strike from Pedro Neto in added time snatched the points for the Blues.

It was a major blow to Fulham’s chances of securing a European spot.

“It was very good from us in the first half and we controlled the first half,” said boss Silva. “We were the best team on the pitch.

“We organised our attacks well and scored a good goal and had some more dangerous moments. The second half was not at our best level.

“We tried to be on the front foot but were not able to take the pressure (from Chelsea). They took control of the game and the ball.

“Normally we are good on the ball but we struggled. I was thinking a draw was a fair result but we conceded a late goal, unfortunately.

“Every time you lose a game like this it is a missed opportunity and you can get worried.”

Silva denied that fatigue was a factor in Fulham’s defeat as he gave credit to Chelsea for their recovery in the second half.

“Our intensity in the first half was very high,” he explained.

'The way we lost, it's a missed opportunity for us' – Silva after Fulham's derby defeat.#FFC pic.twitter.com/DNHOdJHsBp

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“The mobility between our front players and build up was not at the same level. It is not easy to keep up the intensity, but I have to give credit to Chelsea.

“There are many positives in the first half but we have to analyse what went wrong in the second half. We still have points to fight for.

“I am not here to find excuses. I am here to find solutions.”