English Premier
2026-01-07 - Fulham vs Chelsea
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Wednesday 7th January 2025 - Kick Off 7:30pm
This game is live on TV
Fulham
Just when it looked like Fulham were going to be undone by a late Liverpool goal, Harrison Reed stepped up to produce a stunning equaliser and earn his team a deserved point. There will be some frustration that Liverpool were given an equaliser earlier in that match when it clearly looked like the attacker was offside, but Marco Silva showed calmness in the post-match presser.
The point on the board means Fulham are 11th in the Premier League table, but have a healthy 28 points on the board and the current manager will be looking at the teams above them in the standings, rather than those below. A 5-2-3 record at Craven Cottage has left room for improvement over the next five months and that will be the focus for Fulham this week.
Fulham are unbeaten in 5 Premier League games and they had won 3 in a row before earning late draws with Crystal Palace and Liverpool. After consecutive home League defeats, Fulham have beaten Nottingham Forest before the draw on Sunday.
Ryan Sessegnon and Josh King are set to miss out, while those at the African Cup of Nations are yet to return.
Chelsea
The big managerial news prior to the first weekend in 2026 was the Chelsea decision to Sack Enzo Maresca and there is every chance that Liam Rosenior will be taking charge for the first time on Wednesday in this West London derby. He will be taking charge of a group of players that showed plenty of character in the 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Sunday and Rosenior will be hoping to be backed by some of the more experienced bodies in the squad.
The point on the board moved Chelsea back into 5th place in the Premier League table having lost that position for a couple of hours. The Blues are head of Manchester United on goal difference, while Chelsea make a short journey to Craven Cottage with a 4-4-2 away record.
Chelsea have not won any of the last 4 Premier League games, but they have earned points in 3 of those matches, although that has not been enough to keep Enzo Maresca in his job. Since winning at Turf Moor, Chelsea have won just 1 of the last 6 away games played in all competitions.
Moises Caicedo is back from a suspension, but Robert Sanchez, Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella are doubts.
Head to Head
Chelsea beat Fulham 2-0 at Stamford Bridge earlier this season.
Last season Chelsea came from behind to win 1-2 at Craven Cottage and they have won 6 of the last 7 away games against this West London rival.
Prediction
The West London derby between Fulham and Chelsea may not be considered as fierce as others around the country, but don't tell the fans that.
Both teams earned draws on Sunday and impressed in the efforts produced and that could see two confident teams produce another game with chances at both ends of the pitch.
Liam Rosenior is expected to be in charge of Chelsea for the first time, but he is not likely to make wholesale changes to the starting eleven. Instead he will want the team to back up the performance and the result from the fixture at the Etihad Stadium and that means needing some consistency before having a better look at his squad in the FA Cup tie coming up.
Injuries are restricting his choices as well and Chelsea may need to score at least twice to maintain their strong record at Craven Cottage.
That is largely because they have struggled defensively in recent games and could be without first choice goalkeeper Robert Sanchez again.
Moises Caicedo will offer a bit more protection, but Fulham have shown they can get forward and cause problems for opponents when they visit Craven Cottage. At the same time, Fulham will have some issues defensively that need to be addressed and this looks like being another entertaining League fixture.
5 of the last 7 West London derby games played at Craven Cottage between these teams have finished with at least three goals shared out, including last season.
The expectation is that both Fulham and Chelsea can get forward and create chances and both may hit the back of the net, but the likelihood is that both will continue to push for a winning goal to earn a vital three points.
Another 1-2 win for Chelsea is perhaps the standout result here and backing at least three goals to be scored looks the right play.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Fulham 1-2 Chelsea
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll back Over 2.5 Goals at 1.80 with BetFred
