Chelsea Team That Cost £600m Fails To Beat Fulham Due To Superb Tim Ream Defending

Tim Ream made the play of the game to help Fulham hold a Chelsea team worth £600m to a 0-0 draw. Ream denied David Datro Fofana with a superb goal line block.

USMNT defender Tim Ream produced the play of the night on Friday to help Fulham hold Chelsea to a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Fulham center-back Ream saved his team in the 80th minute after David Datro Fofana had beaten goalkeeper Bernd Leno to the ball.

Leno was outside his penalty area when Fofana dribbled around him and it looked almost certain that the £11 million January signing was all set to score his first EPL goal.

Issa Diop then failed to dispossess Fofana with a slide tackle but succeeded in slowing the striker up for a split-second.

That allowed Ream just enough time to get into position to block Fofana's shot inside the six-yard box.

TIM REAM! 🇺🇸

📺: @USA_Network #MyPLMorning | #CHEFUL pic.twitter.com/kxoNL0d4JT

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) February 3, 2023

OFF THE LINE!!!

Almost a dream Premier League debut for David Datro Fofana but Tim Ream denies his chance ❌ pic.twitter.com/YU94s4ZRmL

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 3, 2023

Chelsea had included EPL record signing Enzo Fernandez in their starting XI.

That XI had cost Chelsea £464.2m in combined transfer fees. Graham Potter threw on another £144m worth of substitutes in the second half.

But Chelsea's £600m side did not look significantly better than Fulham's much more modestly compiled team.

In fact, Fulham recorded twice as many shots on target as Chelsea.

Fulham also ended the night two points and three places above their west London rivals in the Premier League table.

Fulham defender Tim Ream (left) pictured battling with £71m Chelsea striker Kai Havertz :: IMAGO/Uk Sports Pics Ltd/Salvio Calabrese