Overview
Just 3 days after Enzo Maresca's shocking departure, many people believe that Chelsea will be "more or less safe" when playing away against Manchester City last weekend.
However, the predictions were quickly reversed. Under the guidance of young coach Calum McFarlane, Chelsea rallied strongly and left Etihad with a 1-1 draw. Enzo Fernandez scored in injury time, equalizing after Tijjani Reijnders' opening goal, opening the explosive celebration of the away team's fans.
Initially, McFarlane was informed that he was likely to only coach the team for one match in a one-time role, as Chelsea is said to be about to appoint Liam Rosenior (Strasbourg). However, whether Rosenior will appear on the coaching bench in the away match to Craven Cottage is still a question mark.
Notably, Fulham coach Marco Silva has faced 4 different Chelsea captains in four Premier League receptions for The Blues, including his time leading Everton and his current job. That trend is likely to continue in this match, as Silva has previously faced Maurizio Sarri, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino and Maresca.
Silva won his first two home games against Chelsea in the Premier League (Everton in March 2019, Fulham in January 2023), but lost both of his last 2 matches.
However, Fulham entered the next match with a bright spirit thanks to the mid-season revival momentum. They are unbeaten in the last 5 Premier League matches (3 wins, 2 draws) after a period of decline when losing 7/10 previous matches (3 wins).
Last weekend, Fulham snatched a valuable point back in the 97th minute in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool, thanks to Harrison Reed's super long-range shot. That goal came after Cody Gakpo put Liverpool ahead in added time.
Previously, Harry Wilson was the one who opened the score. Since the beginning of November, the Welsh player has contributed to 9 goals in the Premier League (5 goals, 4 assists), only behind Erling Haaland (11).
Since the close of round 15 in early December, only Arsenal (15) and Aston Villa (12) have won more points than Fulham (11). This number is equal to Brentford, Man City and Liverpool in the same period, and almost double the points Chelsea earned (6).
Although the draw against Man City is considered a positive boost, Chelsea is still struggling. They have only won 1 in their last 8 Premier League matches (5 draws, 2 losses), have not won 4 consecutive matches (3 draws, 1 loss) and have drawn in both of their most recent matches.
The last time Chelsea drew 3 consecutive matches in the Premier League was in February 2023 - a series of matches at that time with a 0-0 draw against Fulham.
In terms of force, The Blues may welcome left-back Marc Cucurella back after a thigh injury that caused him to miss the away match at Etihad, while Moises Caicedo reappears after a one-match suspension for receiving enough 5 yellow cards.
In midfield, Enzo Fernandez is aiming for the milestone of scoring in 3 consecutive Premier League matches for the first time. This season, only Bruno Guimaraes (7) is the central midfielder who scores more goals than Fernandez. The Argentine player has also equaled his best scoring record in a Premier League season (6).
Head-to-head record
Chelsea often has an overwhelming record against Fulham. They have won 6 of their last 7 away matches in the Premier League at Craven Cottage, except for a 1-2 defeat in January 2023.
In fact, before Fulham returned to the Premier League in 2022, they had only won 1 of 30 encounters with Chelsea in the highest league (10 draws and 19 losses).
However, from that time until now, Fulham has improved somewhat when winning 2 matches in 7 encounters with city rivals, drawing 1 and losing 4.
However, Fulham's derby performance at home is a question mark. They lost 4 of their last 6 London derbies at Craven Cottage (won 2), completely opposite to the 7-match winning streak in similar matches before. If they continue to stumble, Fulham may lose for the first time 3 consecutive London derbies at home since April 2023.
In the opposite direction, Chelsea is in a 9-match unbeaten London derby streak in the Premier League (5 wins, 4 draws), since the 0-1 defeat to Arsenal in March last year.
Score prediction: Fulham 2-2 Chelsea
The match between Fulham and Chelsea takes place at 2:30 AM on January 8 (Vietnam time).
