Chelsea vs Fulham: A Crucial Premier League Encounter
The West London derby takes place this weekend, as Chelsea welcome neighbours Fulham to Stamford Bridge. Both sides lost in their respective Carabao Cup semi finals during the week, but they have the chance to turn those ties around later this month. Their focus will now switch to the Premier League and this is a much bigger game for the home side. After the loss to Middlesbrough, more criticism has been directed at the team and Mauricio Pochettino can’t afford another loss going into the ‘winter break’. Fulham have nothing to lose and have proven themselves to be a dangerous opponent this season.
The Chelsea Project: A Work in Progress
The project at Chelsea was never going to be a quick fix and Pochettino is learning that the hard way. Every time he feels like there is a turning point, his team then go on to lose the next game. The Blues have found no consistency and doubts are starting to creep in over the current manager. However, he is now the fourth manager to take charge under the new owners and none of them have managed to find the magic formula. It may be that patience is required for them to find it.
Fulham’s Rising Ambitions
Fulham can go within one point of Chelsea with a win this weekend. Although they won’t be considering a challenge for Europe, it is within their grasp and a win on Saturday may reset expectations. They have performed admirably in recent weeks, with good performances against Liverpool (twice) and Arsenal. It is unfortunate that they only won one of those matches. If they deliver a similar level of performance this weekend, they have every chance of securing a positive result.
Interesting Stats: Chelsea vs Fulham
Chelsea have won eight and lost eight in the Premier League this season. If they are to move up the table, they need to win more than they lose.
16 of Fulham’s 28 Premier League goals came over a four match stretch at the start of December.
Key Men: Players to Watch
Cole Palmer: Chelsea’s Emerging Star
After so many new signings struggled to make an impact for Chelsea, the instant impact made by Cole Palmer has been impressive. He has regularly contributed goals and assists, while he looks to be a leader of the attack already. The England international was spoken about as a huge talent during his time at Manchester City, but even his biggest supporters will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly he had adapted in a difficult environment. The 21-year-old has eight goals and four assists in the Premier League. The target will be to reach double figures for both, which would be a remarkable debut campaign. Fulham have been an improved side in recent months, but Palmer has the quality to cause them real problems this weekend.
Joao Palhinha: Fulham’s Midfield General
The midfield battle will be key on Saturday. Chelsea have an expensively assembled midfield, with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. It is likely Conor Gallagher will also be on the pitch, so there is plenty of quality in that area for the home side. In Joao Palhinha, Fulham have one of the best ball winners in the Premier League. There were some rumours that he would leave this month, but it is likely he will remain until the summer. When the time comes, it is likely that he will join a Champions League side and this weekend offers a good opportunity for him to show he is good enough for that level. The Portuguese midfielder will try to break up play and provide a platform for Fulham to win the game. He averages 4.9 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game, while his pass accuracy of 83.7% shows he is reliable when recycling the ball. The 28-year-old will be vital to Fulham this weekend.
Team News: Injuries and Absences
Nicolas Jackson is missing as he is on international duty. Benoit Badiashile, Ben Chilwell and Carney Chuckwuemeka are getting closer to making returns. Christopher Nkunku has a groin injury. Robert Sanchez and Romeo Lavia are expected back later this month, but Marc Cucurella, Reece James and Wesley Fofana are longer term injuries.
Calvin Bassey, Fode Ballo-Toure and Alex Iwobi are all at the African Cup of Nations. Tim Ream could make his return this weekend, but Adama Traore will not be back until the end of the month.
Verdict: Match Prediction
Chelsea are still dealing with a lot of injuries and that could make them liable to drop more points this weekend. Fulham are an improving team and they have performed well against the traditional top-six in recent months. They will take confidence from their recent win against Arsenal and play with no fear. The Cottagers could get something from Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea 1-1 Fulham
