Matchday 18 of 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.
Each team's lineup from their last match in this tournament is listed.
Chelsea
The Londoners drew 0-0 away to Everton in the last round. The draw ended a five-match winning streak in the league. It was also the second time in the current campaign that Enzo Maresca's side failed to score. Nevertheless, the club remains in second place, but their 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, while defenders Benoit Badiashile, Reece James, and Wesley Fofana are out with injuries.
- Chelsea's unbeaten run in the Premier League stands at eight matches (5 wins and 3 draws).
- Both teams have scored in 10 of Chelsea's last 12 Premier League games.
- The number "1" has appeared in the final scoreline in 8 of the club's last 11 league matches.
Fulham
The team is unbeaten in five consecutive Premier League matches. However, within this streak, the club has drawn four times. Fulham approaches the upcoming match after three consecutive draws in the league, including stalemates against Arsenal (1-1) and Liverpool (2-2). In the last round, Marco Silva's side dropped points in a home game against Southampton (0-0). The Londoners are in 9th place, just three points off fifth.
Due to injuries, midfielder Reed Harrison, defender Kenny Tete, and forward Rhys Nelson are unavailable.
- In their last nine Premier League matches, the club has lost only once (3 wins and 5 draws).
- Both teams have scored in 9 of Fulham's last 11 Premier League games.
- In 18 previous league matches, the Londoners have only lost once in the first half (7 wins and 10 draws).
Chelsea vs. Fulham: Match Prediction
Despite a goalless draw in the last round, Enzo Maresca was satisfied with the result, as his team rarely leaves the field without conceding. Even at their own stadium, the club regularly picks the ball out of their net – this has happened in 8 of their last 9 home Premier League matches. Notably, Chelsea's scoring prowess at Stamford Bridge should also be highlighted – in their last 21 Premier League games, the club failed to score only against Manchester City.
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, as there is still a chance to return to European competitions. Therefore, I predict that in the upcoming derby, spectators will witness not only a thrilling but also a high-scoring match, with both teams finding the net.
My prediction – Both teams to score – yes
