Venue: Stamford Bridge
Date: 28 Dec 2009
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
We might just about still be top of the table but with United’s win yesterday, our lead is a marginal two points now and with just one win from our last seven games in all competitions, it’s looking pretty vital we pull something out of the bag today.
We’ve got a decent enough record against Fulham, with just the one defeat to them in 30 years and we’ve already beaten them at Craven Cottage this season. Obviously their recent form, with wins against both Liverpool and Manchester United doesn’t help our confidence much but at least their away form hasn’t been as impressive, with just the one win away since the opening day of the season.
MANAGERS’ VIEWS
Off the back of our recent poor run, Carlo Ancelotti says ahead of today’s game “It’s not our best moment; one victory in seven is not good for us. Our aim is to win the title and we are at the top of the table at the moment. This was the half-way point in the season and we’re top so that’s good for us. If we do a good job and work hard like we have until now, then I think we can win it. It’s normal, I think. In our mind it is impossible to win the title in December. You have to win the title in May and you have to be ready in May because I think it will be a long race right until the end of the season. Birmingham and Fulham, at this moment, are in very good condition and I expect a tough game again on Monday for sure. Anelka and Essien are important players for us because they have a lot of quality but they are out and we have to find other solutions. I think we have a very good squad and we will find a different solution. It is not easy to prepare for a game every two or three days but it is not only our problem, it is a problem for every team. So we are all in the same situation.”
Roy Hodgson, in much more buoyant form meanwhile, says “Chelsea have strength in depth and that great feeling that constant winning does for you. They just don’t lose at Stamford Bridge. They feel that whatever team they put out will be capable of beating the Fulhams of this world. Hopefully we’ll frighten them a little bit. We’re not involved in the title race but I listen to what the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti are saying and we must give them credence when they say the Premiership is tougher than ever. They know they will lose more games than they did a few years ago.”
SQUAD NEWS
For us, Michael Essien (hamstring), Jose Bosingwa (knee) and Nicolas Anelka (calf) remain injured. Florent Malouda serves a one match ban after his red card against Birmingham, but Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalo and John Obi Mikel are all available for the last game before ACON.
For Fulham, Hangeland (knee) is uncertain after picking up an injury against Spurs, Andy Johnson could feature after recovering from a groin injury and John Pantsil playes his last game before ACON duty.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (from): Cech, Hilario, Turnbull, Ivanovic, Belletti, Alex, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole, Lampard, Ballack, Mikel, J Cole, Zhirkov, Drogba, Kalou, Kakuta, Bruma, Borini, Sturridge, Matic
FULHAM (from): Schwarzer, Zuberbuhler, Konchesky, Pantsil, Hangeland, Baird, Smalling, Kelly, Hughes, Etuhu, Murphy, Dempsey, Gera, Riise, Greening, Duff, E Johnson, Nevland, Zamora, A Johnson
LAST MEETING
Fulham 0-2 Chelsea (23 August 2009)
PREDICTION
We go into this game unbeaten at Stamford Bridge in 20 league games, winning 16 of them, whilst Fulham are now unbeaten in eight games in all competitions. The worrying statistic for us is that we’ve conceded 13 of our 15 goals from set-pieces this season, and just as worrying is our lack of clinical finishing when Fulham have conceded just one goal from four league games in December. So, with a run this time last year of just two wins from eight games for us, the question is, is history about to repeat itself and see us drop down the table?
REFEREE
Andre Marriner