Matchday 18 in the Premier League between Chelsea and Fulham will take place on December 26 at Stamford Bridge in London. Chelsea vs. Fulham: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Sam Barrott (England)
Matches – 11 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 56;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.1;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 9%.
Predicted lineups for Chelsea vs. Fulham
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Robert Sanchez – Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi, Malo Gusto – Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez – Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho – Nicolas Jackson.
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Bernd Leno – Antonee Robinson, Calvin Bassey, Timothy Castagne, Issa Diop – Sander Berge, Tom Cairney – Alex Iwobi, Harry Wilson, Joshua King – Rodrigo Muniz.
The starting lineup for each team is based on their last match in this tournament.
Chelsea
The Londoners drew 0-0 away with Everton in the last round. The draw ended their five-match winning streak in the league. This was also the second time this season that Enzo Maresca's side failed to score. However, the club remains in second place, but the gap to leaders Liverpool has increased to four points (with Liverpool having a game in hand).
Forward Mykhailo Mudryk will miss the match due to doping issues, and defenders Benoit Badiashile, Reece James, and Wesley Fofana are out due to injuries.
- Chelsea's unbeaten streak in the Premier League stands at eight matches (5 wins and 3 draws).
- Both teams scored in 10 of Chelsea's last 12 Premier League games.
- The number "1" appeared in the final score in 8 of the club's last 11 league matches.
Fulham
The team is unbeaten in their last five Premier League matches. However, they have drawn four times in this series. Fulham heads into this match after three consecutive draws in the league, including ties with Arsenal (1-1) and Liverpool (2-2). In the previous round, Marco Silva's side dropped points at home against Southampton (0-0). The Londoners are in 9th place, just three points off the fifth spot.
Midfielder Reed Harrison, defender Kenny Tete, and forward Rhys Nelson are sidelined due to injuries.
- In their last nine Premier League matches, Fulham has lost only once (3 wins and 5 draws).
- Both teams scored in 9 of Fulham's last 11 Premier League games.
- In 18 previous league matches, the Londoners have lost just once in the first half (7 wins and 10 draws).
Chelsea vs. Fulham: Match Prediction
Despite the goalless draw in the last round, Enzo Maresca was pleased with the result, as his team rarely leaves the pitch without conceding. Even at their own stadium, Chelsea frequently concedes, as seen in 8 of their last 9 home Premier League matches. Notably, Chelsea's scoring ability at Stamford Bridge is impressive, failing to score only against Manchester City in their last 21 Premier League home games.
Fulham is also quite prolific. The team has a seven-match scoring streak away in the league. However, they have conceded in 19 of their last 23 away Premier League games. Marco Silva's side, like their city rivals, has tournament motivation, with a chance to return to European competitions. Therefore, I anticipate an entertaining and high-scoring derby, where both teams will find the net.
My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
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