It’s going to be a battle of grit and flexing of muscles as Chelsea welcome Fulham to their turf, Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on a classic Friday night.
The blues already flexed their muscles in the transfer window but they would be looking to translate that dominance to the football pitch.
The Blues battle with the Cottagers on Friday evening as the West London side splashed around over 300 million pounds in the winter transfer window.
They would be banking on the business done to come good so as to salvage a season that looks to be headed for the doldrums.
Players Chelsea signed in the winter transfer window
The blues, Chelsea signed several players in the winter transfer window with names like Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, Joao Felix, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana, Noni Madueke joining the fray alongside Enzo Jeremais Fernandez who they went in hard for.
With the backing they have given Graham Potter, the Chelsea board seem to have placed enough faith on the Englishman to sail their season towards a positive light.
The encounter with Fulham would be another installment of a match that ended in a defeat for the blues, the last time both clubs faced off in the Premier League.
Chelsea lost at the craven cottage to Fulham three weeks ago, 2-1 in a game where a former blue was among the architects that led to the blues misfortune.
Following that loss, the Blues went on to win against Crystal Palace and a draw to Liverpool which would obviously come soothing and as a sigh of relief in a torrid season that they are having.
The likes of Pierre Emerick Aubamayang, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech have all performed below expectation this season.
That game saw a cameo debut of Joao Felix who picked up a red card in that game but showed signs of positive things to come.
Head to Head
Both sides have faced each other fourteen times in the past with the blues Chelsea winning eight (8) times.
While the game has ended with both sides sharing the points five (5) times in the past and the Cottagers, winning just once in the past against Chelsea.
The cottagers only win against the blues at Stamford Bridge was in the 1964 and 1979 season, both matches were in the lower leagues of English Football.
Since that thrilling victory against Chelsea, Fulham have lost in two encounters following that win.
If they get a win against the Blues on Friday night, it would be the first time in their history as a club and that would certainly give an ecstatic feeling to their ears.
Team News for Chelsea:
The electric man of the blues, Enzo Jeremais Fernandez would be eligible to play in the game but it would not be easy to read the minds of Graham Potter on whether he wants to throw the fresh Argentine into the cooking pot.
Hakim Ziyech was probably left hard done by or maybe unfamiliar circumstances led to his deal to Paris Saint Germain falling apart in the closing hours of the winter transfer window.
Conor Gallagher also couldn’t seal a late deal away from the blues and Joao Felix wouldn’t also be available for that game as he is still serving a three match suspension.
There is a high possibility that Mhykailo Mudryk would make his first start for the blues after his wonderful performance in the little minutes he got against Liverpool.
One man who made a move on deadline day was Jorginho and the Italian midfielder wouldn’t be available as he has signed the dotted lines with Arsenal.
Ngolo Kante in addition to Dennis Zakaria would both be unavailable for the game as they are injured but Mateo Kovacic might be back in contention for the game.
Team News for Fulham
The Cottagers have no issues concerning injury to fret about in view of the game but they would be missing the services of Neeskens Kebano.
Maro Silva’s side also show their workaholic tendencies in the final day of the transfer window as they snapped up Serbian, Sasa Lukic from Italian club Torino.
Alexander Mitrovic would certainly be in high spirit seeing a man from his nation joining up with his side.
Arsenal’s Cedric Soares also joined up with Cottagers as he comes to provide solidity and enterprising football to Marco Silva’s side.
Possible starting line-up for Chelsea against Fulham:
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Nathaniel Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, Cesar Azpilicueta, Mateo Kovacic, Lewis Hall, Marc Cucurella; Mason Mount, Mhykailo Mudryk, Kai Havertz.
Possible starting line-up for Fulham against Chelsea:
Bernard Leno, Kenny Tete, Issa Diop, Timothy Ream, Antonee Robinson, Joao Palhinha, Harrison Reed, Andreas Pereira, Bobby Decordova-Reid, Alexander Mitrovic, Willian Borges.
Prediction:
We predict either a score draw or a win for Chelsea in this game but if we could go all out with a certain prediction, We say Chelsea 1-0 Fulham.
