Chelsea return to West London derby duty on Wednesday night as they make the short journey to Craven Cottage to face Fulham in Premier League gameweek 21, with uncertainty still surrounding the Blues’ managerial situation following Enzo Maresca’s exit.
Both sides arrive buoyed by dramatic late equalisers last time out. Chelsea snatched a 1-1 draw away to Manchester City, while Fulham showed similar resilience in a 2-2 stalemate against Liverpool.
Calum McFarlane, drafted in from Chelsea’s Under-21 setup, was thrown straight into the deep end at the Etihad. Manchester City dominated large spells and looked capable of pulling away after Tijjani Reijnders’ stunning opener, but their failure to be clinical proved costly. Deep into stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez scrambled home an equaliser to earn the Blues a valuable point and spark celebrations among the travelling support.
While that result was encouraging, Chelsea’s wider league form remains a concern. They are now winless in four Premier League matches, a run that leaves them just outside the Champions League places after 20 games. However, with Liverpool only three points ahead and boasting a weaker goal difference, victory on Wednesday could propel Chelsea back into the top four. That task may yet fall to Liam Rosenior, with the Strasbourg boss edging closer to taking charge.
Away form remains a sticking point for the Conference League holders. Chelsea have managed just one win in their last six matches on the road in all competitions and are without a Premier League away victory in their last four attempts.
Fulham, meanwhile, also benefited from late drama in their most recent outing. Liverpool appeared to have sealed the points when Cody Gakpo struck late on, but Harrison Reed stunned Anfield by firing in a remarkable equaliser in the 97th minute, scoring with one of only a handful of touches during his brief cameo.
That result extended Fulham’s unbeaten Premier League run to five matches, during which they have collected 11 points. Sitting 11th in the table, Marco Silva’s side are just three points behind Chelsea, and another positive result would firmly place them back in the conversation for European qualification.
Despite losing Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze to Africa Cup of Nations duty, Fulham have continued to perform well. They have found the net in 11 of their 12 home league matches this season, failing to score only against leaders Arsenal. However, recent history against Chelsea is less encouraging, with four defeats in their last five meetings, including a 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge in August.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Chelsea welcome back Moises Caicedo after he served a one-match suspension against Manchester City. His return could see Reece James move back to right-back, particularly if Marc Cucurella remains sidelined with a thigh problem. Robert Sanchez and Wesley Fofana are also doubts, while Mykhaylo Mudryk, Dario Essugo, Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia are all ruled out.
Cole Palmer completed the full match at the Etihad, but given his heavy workload over the festive period, he could be considered for a rest.
Fulham remain without their AFCON trio, while Rodrigo Muniz is still sidelined with a thigh injury. Kenny Tete, Joshua King and Ryan Sessegnon are all being assessed, but Silva is expected to name a similar squad to the one that frustrated Liverpool, again favouring a back three. Sander Berge is likely to come into midfield, while Reed’s spectacular goal may not be enough to secure a starting place.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Cuenca, Andersen, Diop; Castagne, Berge, Lukic, Robinson; Wilson, Kevin; Jimenez
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Jorgensen; James, Chalobah, Badiashile, Gusto; Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao, Pedro, Neto; Delap
EXPERT PREDICTION
Fulham 1-1 Chelsea
