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CHELSEA vs Fulham: Preview

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Venue: Stamford Bridge

Date: Monday, 26 December

Kick-off: 1300 GMT

 

With Christmas day over, we won’t be seeing the fat man in red (largely because Rooney will be playing at home to Wigan anyway) but we will be catching up with our neighbours because in true Christmas style, we’ve invited them next door over for Boxing Day.

With the festivities over, it’s an early meeting with Fulham for us today and whilst we go into the game off the back of a point from WHL, they have a 5-0 defeat to United hanging over them.   Needless to say, it’s a derby we’ll both be wanting to win then.

 

 

MANAGERS’ VIEWS

Well aware the side he faces took a battering in their last game, Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas says “Normally, when you go past a heavy defeat like that you expect a backlash.  Also the result they got in the Europa League generates revolt and generates anger, which can fuel emotions for a London derby that is extremely difficult for us. They can find an extra motivation from that.  The Carling Cup game between the sides (Chelsea won on penalties) was extremely eventful as well, and they can propose to us a very difficult challenge.”

Spurs boss Martin Jol meanwhile, says of todays game “It’s a good opportunity to show everyone that we can defend better.  If we don’t defend better we’ll never win a game against a top side.  It does not lift your confidence if you get a defeat like this, so you have to do a lot of talking for resolve.  We’ve learned from this. We have to do better, be more aggressive, and if we have the ball, we must take the game to them.”

 

 

SQUAD NEWS

Both Mikel and Ivanovic look set to miss today’s game, having gone off injured against Spurs. Michael Essien (knee) remains out although Luiz (knee) could return. Ramires is suspended after a fifth booking so Lampard could start.  Sturridge is another likely starter given his form, with nine league goals already putting Drogba and Torres to shame.

For Fulham, Davies (back), Schwarzer (spine) and Grygera (knee) all miss out and despite Sidwell’s (hernia) return to training, he’s unlikely to feature.

 

 

TEAMS

CHELSEA: (from): Cech, Bosingwa, Ferreira, Terry, Luiz, Cole, Romeu, Lampard, McEachran, Mata, Malouda, Meireles, Torres, Drogba, Kalou, Sturridge, Lukaku, Turnbull.

FULHAM (from): Stockdale, Etheridge, Riise, Kelly, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Dembele, Briggs, Kasami, Duff, Murphy, Gecov, Etuhu, Ruiz, Dempsey, Frei, Zamora, Sa, Johnson.

 

 

LAST SEASON

Chelsea 1-0 Fulham (10th November 2010)

 

 

PREDICTION

We’re unbeaten on Boxing Day in our last 7 home games and unbeaten in this particular fixture since 1979. In fact, Fulham have only beaten us once in our last 30 league and cup games.  Our neighbours meanwhile, have just suffered their heaviest defeat at home since 1968 have scored just 4 away goals in 8 games this season, so you’d have to assume the odds are in our favour. Before we get too excited though, let’s not forget this is Chelsea and the Wigan result was a timely reminder of our inconsistencies. Would anyone really be surprised if we only took a point?

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