Chelsea hope to inflict more pain on their neighbours.
Fulham are a disarray, aren’t they? Claudio Ranieri’s record with the Cottagers is now worse than Felix Magath’s when he oversaw their last relegation, and it’ll take an absolute miracle for Fulham to avoid the drop this time around – with Wednesday’s Southampton defeat looking like the final nail in the coffin.
It was a slightly better Wednesday for Chelsea: Maurizio Sarri saved his job – for now – with a great win against Spurs, and it’s hard to see them blowing it against Fulham.
Though Chelsea’s recent away record is truly abhorrent (three games, three losses, no goals scored and 12 conceded), Fulham just look down and out, and it’s not like Chelsea aren’t capable of pulling out of this away-day rut.
Ranieri’s style of football – and lack of results – has turned Craven Cottage into a toxic, unhappy mess, and that’ll play directly into Chelsea’s hands. This negativity clearly gets into the players’ heads, and there’s just a painful lack of quality at both ends of the pitch as far as Fulham are concerned - Aleksandar Mitrović the one notable exception.
Chelsea are decent price to win this, which is why I’m putting 3pts into this tip.
Next, I’m expecting either two or three goals to be scored in total.
Eight of Fulham’s 13 home games have seen either two or three goals scored, and considering Chelsea haven’t scored more than twice in their last eight Premier League fixtures on the road, a mauling looks unlikely (despite Fulham’s defence).
He’s been booked six times this season – Fulham’s joint-highest yellow card recipient – and I’m backing Jean Michaël Seri to see yellow once again. Seri missed out on the Southampton defeat with a minor injury, but he’ll be back in the side on Sunday.
It’s a West London Derby, Fulham’s survival is at stake (ok, that ship might have sailed), and Chelsea will dominate the ball – the perfect storm for some yellows.
It’s a nice little price, too.
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