Chelsea will take on Fulham in their next Premier League game on Thursday, hoping to bounce back strongly from the defeat to Manchester City.
Chelsea, who face Fulham in the Premier League this week, have had a disappointing campaign so far. And the Blues are a dismal tenth in the standings, with just seven wins from 17 matches thus far.
Graham Potter will be under pressure to get his side back on track, and the Blues cannot afford to keep dropping points if they want to secure UEFA Champions League qualification for the 2023/24 season.
On the other hand, Fulham have been quite impressive this season and they are seventh in the league table. The home side have picked up three consecutive wins in the top flight and will be full of confidence heading into this game.
Chelsea come into this game on the back of just one win from their last six league matches, and they will need to improve considerably in order to grind out and away when here. The Blues have an impeccable head-to-head record against Fulham in recent seasons and it remains to be seen whether they can extend that run with a victory away from home.
Working towards the SW6 derby. 👊 pic.twitter.com/n32PGJ3mki
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 10, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Fulham will be without the services of Neeskens Kebano because of an injury. However, the major absentee here will be star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who picked up his fifth yellow card against Leicester City and is suspended for this game. The Serbian striker has been in exceptional form this season, and his absence will be a major blow for Fulham.
Marco Silva is expected to set up his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal. Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson are expected to line up as the full-backs here, with Issa Diop and Tim Ream starting as the centre-backs.
Harrison Reed will partner Joao Palhinha at the heart of the Fulham midfield. Reed will look to break up the play and the Portuguese international will be the box-to-box midfielder here. He will be expected to provide defensive cover and add drive to the midfield.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Willian will be deployed as the wingers here, with Andreas Pereira slotting into the number ten role. Finally, Carlos Vinicius is expected to lead the line in the absence of Mitrovic.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Cordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian; Vinicius
Chelsea
Graham Potter will be bereft of the services of a number of players for this game. The away side will be without Reece James, Wesley Fofana, N’Golo Kante, Armando Broja, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, Edouard Mendy, and Christian Pulisic because of injuries.
The Blues are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal. Cesar Azpilicueta and Marc Cucurella will be deployed as the full-backs here, with summer signing Kalidou Koulibaly partnering with Thiago Silva at the heart of the defense.
Jorginho is expected to anchor the midfield alongside Mateo Kovacic and Denis Zakaria. In the front three, Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech are expected to start as the wide forwards, and Kai Havertz will lead the line for the away side. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, surprisingly linked with Barcelona, will be a backup offensive option for Potter.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Koulibaly, Silva, Cucurella; Kovacic, Jorginho, Zakaria; Ziyech, Havertz, Mount
Key Stats
- Chelsea are undefeated in their last 21 matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in six of their last eight matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Fulham have won their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Chelsea have scored at least two goals in six of their last seven matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Chelsea are winless in five of their last six matches in the Premier League.
Player to Watch
Kai Havertz
The German international will be expected to produce the goods here in the absence of players like Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic. He is set to lead the line for the visitors.
Havertz has three goals in his last five outings in all competitions, and he is our man to watch against Fulham on Thursday night. Chelsea have an impressive record against Fulham, and they will need their star attacker to step up if they want to extend their fine run of form against Fulham.
Prediction
Fulham 1-2 Chelsea
Fulham have been outstanding this season, and this will be an uphill challenge for Chelsea. But the fact that the home side are without Aleksandar Mitrovic will be a huge advantage for Chelsea. They are under a lot of pressure to produce a strong reaction here. Chelsea have a lot at stake, and they are expected to step up and deliver this week.
This is likely to be a close contest, but the Blues have the quality to edge this one. The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow 2-1 win for the away side.