Craven Cottage will host a pivotal West London derby on Sunday as Fulham FC take on Chelsea in a match with significant European implications. Kick-off is at 2pm.
Current Form and Stakes
Fulham are currently 9th with 48 points and still in with a chance to secure a spot in Europe. A win would close the gap to three points of Chelsea, who sit 6th with 54 points. They’ll be looking to bounce back from a narrow 1-0 defeat at Bournemouth, which followed a glorious 3-2 home win against Liverpool.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are striving to maintain their position in the race for Champions League qualification. The Blues have experienced a dip in form, with recent draws against Brentford and Ipswich Town, and a 2-1 home loss to Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League, although they advanced on aggregate. Manager Enzo Maresca has emphasized the importance of capitalizing on the remaining fixtures to secure a top-five finish.
Team News
Fulham will be without Reiss Nelson due to a hamstring injury. Harry Wilson has returned to training and may feature in the squad.
Chelsea welcome back Romeo Lavia from a muscle strain, though his minutes will be managed carefully. Wesley Fofana and Marc Guiu remain sidelined, and Mykhailo Mudryk is also unavailable .
Previous encounters
In their last encounter, Fulham beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day, marking only their second win over Chelsea in the past 26 meetings. A win on Sunday would see Fulham achieve a league double over Chelsea for the first time in their history.
Match Coverage
The match will not be broadcast live in the UK due to scheduling changes related to Chelsea’s European commitments. However, live commentary will be available to FFCtv subscribers, and highlights will be shown on Match of the Day 2 at 10:30 PM BST on BBC One.
Weather and Matchday Information
Fans attending the match can expect light rain around kick-off, with temperatures near 16°C.
Prediction
Given Chelsea’s recent struggles on the road and Fulham’s solid home performances, a closely contested match is anticipated. A 2-1 victory for Fulham is a plausible outcome. Come on Fulham!
