Date: Monday 2nd
October 2023
Venue: Craven Cottage
Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Tonight’s game sees us travel the short
distance to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham and with Chilwell’s injury and
Jackson’s suspension, we travel there lighter – as if the absence list wasn’t
high enough.
Fulham won in the Carabao Cup against
Norwich in their last game, and they’ve lost just
one of their last six games in all competitions. That defeat was against City,
so not exactly unexpected (before Wolves anyway). Fulham sit twelfth in the
table currently but that still puts them above us.
We finally got a win against Brighton in the cup midweek but the Premier
League is a different story and we’re having our
worst start to a season since 1978-79, with just five points from six games.
All three of the Premier League fixtures between the sides on a Monday
have ended in a draw, and the sad thing is, we’re so desperate for points that
wouldn’t be the end of the world tonight.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, Fulham manager
Marco Silva, says “It’s going to be a tough game. Chelsea is Chelsea
and no-one can underestimate them because the quality is there. Of course they
haven’t started the way they would of liked to and since Mauricio come in they
are trying to get them in a position to fight for titles. Against Chelsea it
doesn’t matter what they did in the last few games, after the defeat to Villa they
reacted and they won against Brighton in the Carabao Cup which is a goal
for them [to win]. Since January they have signed a big number of players who
are very good and these things take time. Mauricio, the staff and the players
will want to keep improving and to react and if we underestimate them it will
be the first big mistake.
I have a very good relationship with
Mauricio. I don’t know how many times we’ve played each other in the Premier
League but he’s a very good manager. Look at what he did at Southampton, then
Tottenham and then the spell in France [with Paris St Germain] – with the CV he
has he’s come back to England to manage Chelsea, which is a tough job much like
many jobs in the Premier League. I have huge respect for him, he’s a very good
manager and a very good guy and it will be nice to see him again.”
Chelsea
manager Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, says “We have a few options,
to play with a striker or without a striker. Also we need to assess all the
squad after the game, things appear after 48 hours. We need to see how they are
and how they recover from the effort of Wednesday. But different options can
meet. The most important thing is to adapt to the squad and players that are
available, and to try to find a way to perform. That is the most important
thing. Maybe there are different characteristics we can use. We can play with
one striker or maybe we can play without a striker, with another second-line
player or an offensive midfielder. But there are still a few days and I need to
think and assess all the squad to take the best decision.”
SQUAD NEWS
For
Fulham, Tosin Adarabioyo (groin) and Adama Traore (thigh) are out and Calvin
Bassey (back) is a doubt. Kenny Tete (groin) will need assessing but Sasa Lukic
(knee\) is back in training.
For Chelsea,
Wesley Fofana (knee), Christopher Nkunku (knee), Benoit Badiashile
(hamstring), Reece James (hamstring), Romeo Lavia (ankle), Marcus Bettinelli
(knee), Trevoh Chalobah (hamstring) have now been joined by Ben Chilwell
(Hamstring), such is the ridiculousness of our injury situation. Gusto and
Jackson are suspended but Carney Chukwuemeka and Noni Madueke may be available,
assuming nothing happens to either of them in the warm-up.
TEAMS
FULHAM (Possible line-up): Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Palhinha, Reed; Decordova-Reid,
Pereira, Iwobi; Jimenez
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Sanchez; Cucurella, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Caicedo, Fernandez,
Gallagher; Palmer, Sterling, Mudryk
LAST SEASON
Fulham 2-1 Chelsea (12
Jan 2023)
CURRENT FORM (PL)
FULHAM: WLDLWD
CHELSEA: DLWLDL
OTHER STUFF
- Fulham won the last meeting at Craven Cottage in
January.
- Chelsea were relegated the last time they had this
sort of start to a season.
- Fulham are without a win in nine consecutive
Premier League London derbies since beating Chelsea in January.
- Chelsea have won just two of their past 18 league games.
- Chelsea have taken five points from six games.
- Chelsea have failed to score in 13 Premier League games
in 2023.
PREDICTION
Sportsmole: Fulham 1-1 Chelsea
