Chelsea vs Fulham – Betting Preview
Enzo Fernandez was acquired by Chelsea on the final day of the transfer window for a record-breaking sum, following the high-profile additions of Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk earlier in January.
The Argentine’s £106.8 million price tag sets an English transfer record, and after five games for Benfica following the World Cup, Fernandez is poised to have an early influence on the team!
Chelsea Preview
The Chelsea management are undoubtedly placing a lot of faith in Graham Potter to turn around their fortunes following a disastrous season, particularly in the Premier League, with that signing bringing their spending for the season to over £600 million.
This matchup is a replay of the spectacular game that took place at Craven Cottage three weeks ago, a game that Fulham won 2-1 when Chelsea’s Felix was dismissed on his debut.
With just one victory in their previous 11 domestic games, that outcome put Potter in serious difficulty.
A victory over Crystal Palace and a scoreless draw at Anfield relieved some of the manager’s burden, but this is still another game that must be won for a team that has recently spent heavily and is oddly down in 10th place.
Fulham Preview
Fulham has lost both league games since defeating Chelsea in the reverse match, and lower-league competition has forced them into an FA Cup rematch.
They were extremely unlucky to lose at St. James’ Park as Aleksandar Mitrovic had his penalty disallowed for a careless double kick before Newcastle United scored a very late winner. It would be incorrect to say, however, that they performed terribly.
Another narrow defeat to Tottenham Hotspur saw them play slightly below their very high levels of recent weeks, but an Antonio Conte side can be difficult to break down.
For their cup match against Sunderland, manager Marco Silva made a few adjustments, and the result was an amazing spectacle that either team could have won.
22 shots on goal, 12 of which were on target, and 69% of the game’s possession demonstrate that Fulham was still able to control play against an effective Championship team despite losing the match.
1X2 Betting Odds
For Chelsea supporters, it will be a night of suspense and anticipation as they may get to meet some of their new players, but it will also be a challenging task as they take on a Fulham team that is highly effective.
Despite recent turbulent form of the club, it is still Chelsea who are the favourites to win here @ 1.66.
Fulham don’t fear anyone, as was shown from the reverse match and many previous games against stronger opponents this season, and there’s reason to believe they might give Potter and Chelsea another frustrating evening!
They are the underdogs in this @ 5.90, but they are not to be underestimated!
The possibility of a draw, and yet another game where Chelsea drops points, stands @ 4.33.
Total goals over/under
The odds that the total number of goals scored will be over 2.5, stands @ 1.97.
While the odds that the total number of goals will be under 2.5, stands @ 2.00.
Given the recent form of Chelsea, and the fact that Fulham can surprise big teams, the market expects a contest with tight margins!
Perhaps individual brilliance is something that can be the deciding factors in this one!
