Chelsea and Fulham are set for an early Saturday kickoff in the Premier League, following their respective midweek EFL Cup setbacks. Chelsea experienced a shock 1-0 defeat to Championship side Middlesbrough, while Fulham let an early lead slip in their 2-1 semi-final loss at Liverpool.
Chelsea’s Home Edge Could Be Key Chelsea’s recent record in London derbies hasn’t been stellar, with only four wins in their last 11 encounters with city rivals. However, their strong home form, combined with Fulham’s struggles on the road, suggests the Blues could emerge victorious in this West London clash.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea are enjoying a seven-game unbeaten run at home across all competitions, including five wins. In contrast, Fulham’s away performance in the Premier League this season hasn’t been impressive, managing just six points from 10 games (W1, D3, L6) and scoring only nine goals in those away matches.
Chelsea’s ability to secure a win while conceding seems plausible. Despite Fulham’s lack of away goals, Chelsea have kept just two clean sheets at Stamford Bridge in the league, both against bottom-three teams.
Fulham, on the other hand, did find the net at Anfield in the cup, with five of their nine away goals coming in the last five away fixtures. Thus, a Chelsea victory with both teams scoring appears a likely scenario.
A Close Contest Anticipated Considering the league positions and form, a tightly contested match is expected. Just four points separate the two teams in the league standings, hinting at a closely fought encounter, potentially decided by a single goal.
A 2-1 win for Chelsea seems a reasonable prediction for the correct score. With Mykhailo Mudryk, who scored in the reverse fixture and has netted twice in his last five appearances, looking in good form, he could be a strong candidate for an anytime scorer in this match.
