Thiago Silva sends ‘UFC’ message after Vinicius incident during Chelsea win vs Fulham
Chelsea picked up a vital three points against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday evening thanks to goals from Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja
Thiago Silva put in a strong performance against Fulham as Chelsea kept a clean sheet in their 2-0 win at Craven Cottage. However, the Brazilian defender was on the receiving end of a brutal tackle from fellow countryman Vinicius during the second half.
Chelsea moved up to 11th in the Premier League after ending their winless run with goals from Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja handing the Blues all three points. Mauricio Pochettino was forced into a number of changes including adjusting his defence following Ben Chilwell’s injury and Malo Gusto’s suspension.
Silva remained at the heart of the defence and was crucial in helping Chelsea take their first Premier League win since the 3-0 victory against Luton Town in August. It’s been a difficult season for the Blues so far but the Brazilian’s leadership in a young squad is crucial for Pochettino.
In an effort to stifle Chelsea’s dominance at Craven Cottage, Fulham’s frustrations were highlighted in an incident between Silva and Vinicius during the second half. The Cottagers’ striker attempted to win the ball off of the Brazil international and seemed to throw a punch towards the back of Silva’s head – resulting in a foul but no red card for the Fulham star.
In a post on his Instagram story, Silva responded to the incident by uploading a picture of his clash with Vinicius – along with the message: “This is not even allowed in the UFC! *laughing emoji* But it’s cool *wink emoji*.”
Many were left surprised that the incident was not reviewed by VAR for serious foul play – but it seems Silva is not overly concerned by his clash with Vinicius and has chosen to laugh about it instead. The West London Derby left a few Chelsea stars nursing knocks after the game including Mudryk and Moises Caicedo.
The Ukraine international was withdrawn at half-time with a thigh problem – being replaced by Ian Maatsen. Meanwhile, Caicedo was spotted with strapping around his left knee at the end of the fixture, but not in any visible discomfort as he walked down the tunnel towards the changing rooms.
