Premier League preview: Chelsea vs Fulham
Friday night football ahoy! And with Chelsea owner Todd Boehly seemingly channelling Gary Oldman in Leon this transfer window – “bring me everyone. EVERYONE!” – Graham Potter can certainly name an expensively assembled team for this west London derby. Will it also be a cohesive one?
The Blues might have retained their big spending ways since Roman Abramovich departed, but the football has been a touch flaccid; it’s just two wins in 11 Premier League games for Chelsea, who are currently 10th in the table.
Can Fulham pull off the away win?
A draw against Liverpool last time out is arguably not that creditable, given the Merseyside team have their own issues at the moment. Still, Potter’s side have won two of their last three home games in the Prem.
As for Fulham, they’re riding uncommonly high, seventh in the league and having beaten Chelsea at Craven Cottage already in 2023. Can they pull off a remarkable double over their rivals with victory at Stamford Bridge?
Much as it might seem appealing to back the underdog to get something here, Chelsea have been reasonably solid at home of late. Not that backing the home victory is appealing at a short price, but maybe another approach could make sense.
New signing Mykhailo Mudryk looked lively when he came on from the bench against Liverpool in his first appearance for Chelsea. The 22-year-old Ukrainian is 3/1 to find the net at any time, and will obviously want to get off the mark quickly.
Mudryk’s not the only new signing looking to make an impression, of course; Enzo Fernandez was signed for a record £107m on the last day of the transfer window; the Argentine midfielder only signed with Benfica last June.
Will Chelsea’s spending splurge see an upturn in fortunes?
And Chelsea have also signed the likes of Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke – not to mention the on-loan Joao Felix, who almost feels like old news now (if you forgot, he was sent off in his debut – against Fulham).
Chelsea have spent £323m in January. Will that splurge result in an immediate upturn in fortunes? Or will a coach more used to dealing with modest budgets struggle for clarity in such a chaotic environment?
Either way, the pressure’s on the former Brighton manager. Maybe Mudryk can do his new boss a favour on Friday.
It was a quieter transfer window for Fulham, unsurprisingly – the side bought in Sasa Lukic and Shane Duffy, as well as Cedric Soares on loan.
But having got the better of Chelsea when they met them just weeks ago, the visitors go into this match with at least some hope of thwarting the Boehly juggernaut.
Even so, an away win is a big ask – Fulham haven’t won at the Bridge since 1979…
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