Prediction: Chelsea vs Fulham

Prediction: Chelsea win

Best Odds: 2/11

Bookmaker: bet365

It’s the weekend for local rivalries and while it may not be the biggest, Chelsea vs Fulham is a derby that could start to heat up in the next few years if the Cottagers can take advantage of their funding. Alas, there’s only really one main storyline heading into this one and that is the return of former Blues manager Claudio Ranieri, who is now attempting to turn things around for Fulham after a poor start to the campaign. Regardless of whether or not he succeeds, this game is going to make for very entertaining viewing.

Chelsea

Chelsea may have had a great start to the season, but some fans are starting to get a little bit worried in the wake of their defeat at the hands of Tottenham. While it isn’t the end of the world that they lost their unbeaten record it certainly isn’t ideal, but perhaps this will help Maurizio Sarri in the long run in terms of taking the pressure off his shoulders. They still face a battle to qualify for the Champions League, and it’ll be interesting to see whether or not they aim to strengthen in the January transfer window.

Team News

Ethan Ampadu has returned to full training, but Eden Hazard will face a late fitness test after twisting his ankle against Spurs.

Fulham

They may have spent millions, but the biggest move of the season so far for Fulham has been bringing in Claudio Ranieri. The veteran manager already seems like he’s making a difference, and that’s no overstatement. They’ve got the players necessary to make some big moves up the table, but it’ll obviously take time. This game will hold more sentimental value than most for the Italian, and because of that, we’re intrigued to see what style of play Fulham come out with.

Team News

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Kevin McDonald aren’t expected to be fit in time for this one, but Joe Bryan is expected to get some game time at the Bridge.

Factors to Consider

• The game will be played at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge.
• Chelsea have won four, drawn one and lost one of their last six games.
• Fulham have won one and lost five of their last six games.
• Chelsea lead the overall head to head standings 46-11 with 26 draws.
• Chelsea are unbeaten in 17 games against Fulham, dating back to March 2006.

Conclusion

Chelsea are going to come out like a house on fire in this one against their local rivals, and rightly so. They want to wash away the memories of the defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, and what better way to do that than against the Cottagers who have been pretty poor this season. Of course, they do look like a team with some renewed energy courtesy of their recent managerial change, but we still think that the Blues have more than enough in their locker to grind out a somewhat nervy 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.

Prediction: Chelsea win

Best Odds: 2/11

Bookmaker: bet365