13 January 2023 , 10:35
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Fulham mocked Joao Felix's red card before quickly deleting their social media post.
The Cottagers ran out winners against Chelsea for the first time since 2006 as they secured a 2-1 success on their own patch. Felix was making his debut for the Blues after completing his loan switch from Atletico Madrid and looked sharp, that was until he was sent-off.
Felix lasted less than an hour on his debut as he was dismissed for a high lunge on Fulham's Kenny Tete. The home players were left fuming by the challenge and David Coote didn't hesitate in issuing a red card, which came with the game in the balance at 1-1.
Fulham's Twitter account tweeted: "#AdiosJoao" immediately after he was given his marching orders, but have since deleted the post. And it might well be because Adios is Spanish, not Portuguese. They were able to bask in victory however as Vinicius Junior's second-half header gave them all three points and moved them into the European places.
It placed further pressure on Graham Potter, who has now seen his side win just one of their last nine league games either side of the World Cup break. He has few complaints after Felix's dismissal, which means he will be without another player due to suspension.
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He told BT Sport: "There's a reaction from the side and it was a forward's tackle, there was no malice in it and I don't think he got too much of the player, but I understand why he's been sent off. It is another blow. The hits just keep coming at the moment.
Joao Felix was sent off for a high tackle on Kenny Tete (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)"He was really good, you could see his quality in the game, so it is doubly disappointing for us. It is tough. I feel for the supporters, the players and for everybody connected with the club. It is a tough moment for us."
Fulham meanwhile are now up to sixth with their win over the Blues allowing them to leapfrog Liverpool. Marco Silva's men have now won four on the bounce but the Portuguese boss is not getting carried away amid fears a few bad results could send them spiralling down the table.
He said: "Myself as a manager, I still see lots of room to improve but I cannot hide that we are all pleased with another win which is our fourth in a row in the Premier League. The players have been brilliant and we all have to keep working really hard. The run has been impressive but a bad run can always come and we must stick together."