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2 weeks ago
11
Chelsea and Fulham fastener horns successful a West London derby astatine Stamford Bridge successful the Premier League connected Boxing Day.
The location broadside had their awesome winning streak ended by a stubborn Everton connected Sunday, portion Fulham were besides held to a 0-0 gully by relegation candidates Southampton.
Match preview
© Imago
After winning 5 Premier League games successful a row, the longest streak immoderate nine successful the part has enjoyed this season, Chelsea saw that tally abruptly halted connected Sunday, being held to a goalless gully by a resolute Everton.
It was the archetypal clip Enzo Maresca's men had failed to triumph a crippled since the 1-1 gully with Arsenal earlier the November planetary break, and the archetypal clip they had failed to people successful a league crippled since the opening day.
Despite being held and falling 4 points down Liverpool astatine the Premier League summit again though, Chelsea are inactive unbeaten successful 12 matches, with immoderate favourable fixtures ahead.
On paper, a tally of 5 games against Fulham, Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Wolves should connection Chelsea the accidental to spell stride for stride with Liverpool into the caller year, but immoderate gaffe ups could beryllium precise costly there.
While galore person marveled astatine Chelsea's caller signifier though, their tally of 35 points is really the lowest of immoderate second-placed squad astatine Christmas since 2010, showing conscionable however congested and competitory the Premier League has been truthful far.
There volition beryllium nary concerns astir the information Chelsea person mislaid 2 of their past 3 Boxing Day fixtures, due to the fact that their grounds against Fulham is remarkable, remaining unbeaten successful 19 games against the Cottagers astatine Stamford Bridge, a tally which dates backmost to 1979.
A bully omen is that contempt lone winning 2 of the erstwhile 11 matches they person played against London clubs connected Boxing Day, some of those wins came during title-winning seasons, successful 2005-06 and 2014-15.
© Imago
Fulham could person travel into this clash with their eyes firmly acceptable connected the apical four, but they were held to a 0-0 draw by bottom-of-the-table Southampton astatine Craven Cottage connected Sunday.
Harry Wilson and Adama Traore came closest for Marco Silva's broadside successful a low-key, underwhelming afternoon, but they stay conscionable 2 points disconnected the European places, acknowledgment to draws with Arsenal and Liverpool anterior to that stalemate.
Draws are becoming excessively communal though, with Silva's men having won conscionable 1 of their past six games now, and Chelsea are not the perfect opponents for them to effort to hole that record.
In 34 Premier League meetings, Fulham person won conscionable twice, a triumph complaint of lone 6%, which is the lowest of immoderate squad against different hostile successful Premier League past betwixt those who person met astatine slightest 20 times.
Manager Silva besides has an underwhelming grounds implicit the Blues from his clip with Fulham, and besides Watford and Everton, winning conscionable 2 of his erstwhile 10 encounters against their upcoming opponents.
Chelsea Premier League form:
Chelsea signifier (all competitions):
Fulham Premier League form:
Team News
© Imago
After immoderate antiaircraft shifting which saw Axel Disasi travel successful astatine right-back and Malo Gusto determination to the near astatine Everton, Marc Cucurella is backmost from suspension and that should pb to a much orthodox backmost 4 for Chelsea.
Romeo Lavia could beryllium acceptable to instrumentality aft Maresca revealed the Everton crippled would beryllium conscionable excessively soon for the Belgian midfielder, but Reece James and Wesley Fofana stay retired with hamstring injuries.
Benoit Badiashile besides remains out, but his replacement Tosin Adarabioyo has stepped up to the sheet commendably, and saved a definite extremity with a flying artifact connected Everton's Iliman Ndiaye connected Sunday.
Fulham's Emile Smith Rowe is simply a large uncertainty for this 1 aft missing the gully with Southampton owed to a limb injury, portion Silva mightiness besides beryllium without his first-choice midfield, arsenic Sasa Lukic and Sander Berge are some doubtful.
Andreas Pereira volition astatine slightest instrumentality from suspension here, and could regenerate teen Josh King, who made his afloat Premier League debut connected Sunday, and enactment guardant a bully relationship of himself.
Kenny Tete and Reiss Nelson some precocious sustained injuries that volition sideline them until February astatine least, and determination is simply a determination to beryllium made up beforehand betwixt either Raul Jimenez oregon Rodrigo Muniz, who came into the broadside against the Saints.
Chelsea imaginable starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Jackson
Fulham imaginable starting lineup:
Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Cairney, Pereira, Iwobi; Wilson, Jimenez, Adama
We say: Chelsea 3-1 Fulham
After being frustrated by an impenetrable Everton, Chelsea volition fancy their chances of returning to winning ways against a much unfastened Fulham side, adjacent if they whitethorn person much to interest astir defensively.
Fulham person proven themselves to beryllium a competitory outfit since returning to the apical formation nether Silva, but their grounds against Chelsea remains woeful, and their winless streak could widen to 20 present astatine the Bridge.
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