The Premier League returns from the FA Cup break on Friday night when two London sides resume their league campaign at Stamford Bridge when Chelsea host local rivals Fulham in a pivotal clash for both teams.
Chelsea went big in the transfer window during January and when an outlay like that is put down then the team have to deliver straight away. Fulham have already beaten Chelsea this season and will move into the top six if they avoid defeat here.
Where to watch
The match will be shown live and in full on the Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League channels. The build-up begins at 7pm and the kick off at the Bridge is at 8pm.
Chelsea
Chelsea might be in a transition period under their new owner and Graham Potter but even allowing for that tenth in the table is not where they will want or expect to be so you feel this is an important second half of the campaign for the Blues. Even if they are unable to qualify for the Champions League next season, which given that they are 10 points off the pace looks like being the case, it is important they start winning matches and begin to show that the new style can be effective.
I think most Chelsea fans will be more interested in them going forward. They have signed some huge names and expensive players but most of that work was done in the defensive areas of the squad. They have signed one or two to help an attack which must improve having only scored 22 goals in their 20 Premier League games to date. I would imagine Graham Potter would like to see his team control matches and show the pace and skill they have in the wider areas starting here.
Fulham
This has been a brilliant season for Fulham. They have pretty much secured another season of Premier League football with near enough a whole half of the campaign still to play so now they can relax a little and have a good go at achieving something that they probably didn’t think was possible at the beginning of the season. They are right in the race for European football next season and a win here would really enhance their chances.
Fulham are going great guns in the league this season but they have lost their last two matches in it so they will be keen to arrest that little indifferent spell. There is no need to panic because those losses were at Newcastle and home to Tottenham but they didn’t really land a blow on Spurs which will have disappointed them. The Cottagers have suddenly tightened up at the back, conceding just four goals in their last six, so if they can rediscover their touch in front of goal again you would imagine results will naturally return.
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Team News
Chelsea are waiting to see if Enzo Fernandez will be allowed to make his debut after his British transfer record move from Benfica. Joao Felix won’t be playing as he is suspended but Graham Potter could have Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Raheem Sterling to choose from.
Fulham bolstered their squad with the additions of Sasa Lukic and Cedric Soares on deadline day and both could be involved in what would be their debut for the Cottagers in this match. Neeskens Kebano is out injured still.
Betting
We are at that stage of the season where betting on the matches is not the easiest thing because there has been so many changes to personnel over the last week or so of the transfer window that we have to get used to how these teams are going to set up once again. That is probably even more the case with Chelsea given the amount of players they have brought in during the last couple of weeks. With that in mind I’ll leave the main markets alone and head for a player one.
Mykhailo Mudryk made an instant impression in the 35 minutes or so that he got at Anfield in the last Chelsea match and I would expect him to be a key player in this match as well. If there is a weakness in the Fulham defence I have often thought it was down their right side whether Kenny Tete, Bobby Decordova-Reid or now possibly Cedric Soares plays there. Mudryk showed he has plenty of pace as well as his trickery and I would expect him to regularly get into shooting positions here. His shot line looks high enough at 2.5 but with him looking to impress in his first home game and look to justify the fee paid for him, I fancy he’ll fire three shots off regardless of what happens to them.
Tips
Back M.Mudryk – 3+ shots for a 3/10 stake at 2.38 with BetVictor
Back him here:
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