GIFT? YOU CAN’T BE SERI-OUS

CLAUDIO RANIERI claimed Fulham gifted Chelsea victory with a “present” for the first goal as he was undone by an old friend.

Summer signing Jean Michael Seri was dispossessed in midfield by N’Golo Kante and the Chelsea midfielder raced away to set up Pedro’s opener (left).

Ranieri knows Kante’s ballwinning qualities all too well, having signed him and then won the title with the World Cup winner in the heart of his Leicester midfield.

He said: “At the beginning we gave a good present when we lost the ball and they scored on the counter-attack.

“We’d spoken all week about this, and I said to try and play forward in midfield.

“But it is one thing to talk about it and another to do it. I can’t explain. When you concede a goal right at the beginning, it’s difficult.”

Kante came into the game with criticism from his boss Maurizio Sarri ringing in his ears but Ranieri defended him. “N’Golo is a fantastic player,” he said.

“Maurizio is right to pick on him sometimes. Not on only him but all the players, so they can improve.”

Fulham remain bottom, two points from safety, and Ranieri (above, with Sarri) now has one win and a defeat from this first two games in charge. He added: “I think we played much better against Chelsea than in the Southampton match that we won.

“We have to continue in this way. My players must learn my philosophy. I play very, very fast. Today we made good decisions in a very short time.

“Under pressure from Chelsea, it was difficult to play. We were prepared but now we think about the next match.”