Chelsea have won the Premier League Summer Series after a 2-0 victory over Fulham at FedExField in Landover, Maryland.
After Aston Vila's 3-3 draw with Brentford earlier in the day, Chelsea knew only a victory would be enough to be crowned champions due to Villa's stronger goal difference.
But a much-changed Chelsea team took control of a west London derby on US soil thanks to first-half goals from Thiago Silva and Christopher Nkunku.
Thiago Silva's goal was a header from a Ben Chilwell corner, while Nkunku's came from close range after Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno could only parry a shot into his path. It was Nkunku's second goal of the tournament and his third since signing.
Chelsea started 19-year-old American goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina but Fulham could not seriously test him or substitute goalkeeper Lucas Bergstrom, managing only one shot on target all match.
There was a welcome boost for Fulham fans, though, as Raul Jimenez and Calvin Bassey both played for the first time following their arrivals from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ajax respectively.
However, both teams suffered injury blows, with captain Tom Cairney going off for Fulham with a suspected hamstring injury, while Trevoh Chalobah only lasted 15 minutes having come on as a second-half substitute.
Chelsea's win means they end the tournament with two wins and one draw, and remain unbeaten in pre-season under Mauricio Pochettino. They have one match remaining, against Borussia Dortmund on 2 August, before their Premier League opener at home to Liverpool on 13 August.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
3 | +3 | 7 |
| 2 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
3 | +2 | 5 |
| 3 |
Newcastle United
NEW
|
3 | +1 | 5 |
| 4 |
Brighton & Hove Albion
BHA
|
3 | 0 | 3 |
| 5 |
Fulham
FUL
|
3 | -3 | 3 |
| 6 |
Brentford
BRE
|
3 | -3 | 1 |
Nkunku says lifting silverware in pre-season is a great boost ahead of the start of the Premier League.
"It's good for the confidence," he said. "We've had a great pre-season. We'll be ready for the season."
See: Pochettino pleased with squad but open to new signings