Fulham vs Chelsea predictions for Monday’s Premier League clash at Craven Cottage. On Monday evening, the Premier League showcases a West London duel, with Fulham playing host to Chelsea, their neighbours from the lower end of the table, at Craven Cottage. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
Match Live Monday, 2nd October at 8:00 pm In:
Fulham vs Chelsea Predictions
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West London Derby Showdown: Fulham and Chelsea’s Battle for Dominance
Key Stats
– Chelsea have managed only one win in their last ten Premier League matches.
– Both teams haven’t lost in their recent EFL Cup ties, pushing into the next rounds.
Craven Cottage is set to be the epicentre of a pulsating Premier League encounter as Fulham play host to Chelsea in a West London Derby on Monday night. Both teams, currently seated in the bottom half of the table, will be looking to build upon their recent EFL Cup successes. While Fulham managed a 2-1 victory over Norwich City, Chelsea narrowly secured a 1-0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Recent Form and Performances
Fulham’s recent performances have shown promise. Marco Silva’s side, after overcoming Norwich in the EFL Cup, extended their unbeaten run across all competitions to three matches. Their next challenge in the Cup will be against Championship team Ipswich Town. Their Premier League endeavours have been commendable too, having lost just once in their last six fixtures. And guess who bested them? None other than Manchester City, the treble winners, at Etihad. Riding this wave of confidence, Fulham might eye another Premier League clean sheet, following their recent shutout against Luton Town.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have found some reprieve after a few hiccups. They managed to end a three-game dry spell with a win against Brighton, thanks to Nicolas Jackson. While this uplifted the team’s spirits, Mauricio Pochettino’s side has shown a dip in form in the Premier League, with only a single win in their last ten matches. This puts them perilously close to the relegation zone in 15th place, reminiscent of their 1978-79 season’s struggles.
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However, history might be in Fulham’s favour this time around. After a series of 21 matches without a win against Chelsea, Fulham broke the jinx with a 2-1 victory and a 0-0 draw last season. Could history repeat itself?
Squad Analysis and Player Focus
Injury concerns plague both teams. Fulham’s Calvin Bassey’s back troubles are a concern, while Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell is nursing a hamstring injury. But Fulham’s Andreas Pereira, on the brink of his 200th career league appearance, is raring to go, being among those rested for this game.
Technical Analysis
The West London Derby between Fulham and Chelsea provides an intriguing examination of both teams’ tactics and strategies. While both clubs share the same city, their recent performances and trajectories seem to diverge.
Offensive and Defensive Strategies
Fulham’s Approach: Fulham, under Marco Silva, have utilised their key players effectively. Carlos Vinicius and Alex Iwobi’s combination against Norwich City was a testament to that. Silva, who prefers his teams to play with flair, is also well-versed in setting up a compact defensive unit. By shutting out Luton Town, Fulham illustrated their capability to combine defensive solidity with offensive prowess. However, their performance against Crystal Palace, ending in a goalless draw, indicated a lack of creativity and a struggle to break down well-organised defences.
Chelsea’s Strategy: Chelsea, on the other hand, are struggling. While their victory against Brighton in the EFL Cup provided some solace, it merely masked a deeper issue. Their dependence on Nicolas Jackson is evident. Yet, in games where he’s stifled or absent, Chelsea seem to lack bite. Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea side keeps possession but struggles to create clear cut chances, reflected in their “favourable xG statistics”. Their loss to Aston Villa exposed their vulnerabilities, especially in transitioning from offence to defence.
Key Player Performances
Fulham: Bernd Leno stands out with an impressive average BettingTips4You rating of 7.58. João Palhinha has showcased his importance by topping the goals and yellow card lists, illustrating his dual role of scoring and breaking up plays.
Chelsea: Enzo Fernández and Conor Gallagher have been the standouts for Chelsea, with their midfield play often driving the Blues forward. The presence of Reece James and Thiago Silva suggests that Chelsea’s defence, despite some setbacks, has individuals capable of brilliance.
Management’s Impact
Marco Silva’s influence on Fulham is evident. They play with a renewed confidence, blending Silva’s attacking principles with a sturdiness at the back. For Chelsea, Pochettino’s tenure has been a mixed bag. The team keeps possession but often lacks the cutting edge. Pochettino’s challenge lies in extracting the best out of his expensively assembled squad.
Expected Goals Analysis
Fulham’s expected assists (xA) list reveals that their playmakers like Andreas Pereira and Harry Wilson are creating opportunities but are unlucky in terms of actual assists. Chelsea, with their “favourable xG statistics”, suggests they are creating quality chances but failing to capitalise.
Comparative Analysis
Tactically, while Fulham seems to adopt a balanced approach, Chelsea lean more towards a possession-based game. However, Fulham’s recent form suggests a better integration of tactics and player performance, whereas Chelsea appears disjointed at times.
Suggestions for Improvement
Fulham: To keep climbing, they need to harness the creativity of players like Pereira and Iwobi, ensuring their forward players are in sync with the creative hubs.
Chelsea: They desperately need a plan B. Over-reliance on Jackson is proving costly. Pochettino should consider experimenting with formations and perhaps employ Sterling as a makeshift striker to provide a different dimension.
Pros and Cons
Fulham: Their balanced approach ensures they are never too exposed. However, their inability to break down well-organised teams is a concern.
Chelsea: Their possession game can be mesmerising, but they often lack the end product. Additionally, their transition defence seems susceptible.
In-depth Predictions for Fulham vs Chelsea:
1. Outcome Prediction: Draw
Heading into this encounter, both Fulham and Chelsea seem to be struggling to find consistency in their Premier League campaigns. Given their respective forms, neither team is the outright favourite. Moreover, history suggests an inclination towards draws in their Monday night meetings. All three clashes between these local rivals on Mondays have ended all square. Additionally, the last Premier League fixture between these two saw a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge, providing further evidence to suggest a level result.
2. Correct Score: 1-1
Both teams have recently struggled to maintain clean sheets and a flurry of goals in their games, despite some impressive performances. Fulham’s last six games in all competitions saw them concede 10 times. Meanwhile, Chelsea, despite having talented forwards, hasn’t been able to consistently find the net in the Premier League. A low-scoring draw seems plausible, with both teams likely to bag a goal each, echoing Fulham’s recent 2-1 victory and the 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.
3. Goalscorer Prediction: Raúl Jiménez
When it comes to finding the back of the net, Fulham’s Raúl Jiménez stands out. Although he hasn’t been prolific, his positioning, movement and past Premier League experience with Wolves make him a significant threat. Moreover, with a BettingTips4You rating of 6.85, he’s among Fulham’s top performers this season. In the absence of Nicolas Jackson for Chelsea, Jiménez could be the man to watch.
4. Corner Prediction: Fulham to have more corners
Based on the data provided, Fulham have been averaging 4.2 corners per game, which is indicative of their attacking plays and movements down the wings. Chelsea’s defensive woes, coupled with Fulham’s intention to press, might see the Cottagers earn a higher number of corners. We could expect around 9 to 11 corners in total for this match, given the stats and the attacking nature both teams might adopt.
5. Yellow Card Prediction: João Palhinha
Midfield battles often result in cards, and João Palhinha is no stranger to them. With two yellow cards already this season, Palhinha’s aggressive style of play, especially in a derby game where emotions run high, makes him a prime candidate to enter the referee’s book.
6. Assist Prediction: Harrison Reed
In terms of creativity, Harrison Reed stands out for Fulham. With the sole assist for his team this season, combined with an Expected Assists (xA) of 0.34, Reed has the vision and ability to unlock defences. In a match where chances might be at a premium, his midfield mastery could be the difference in creating a clear-cut opportunity.
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