CHELSEA must get themselves up off the canvas in short order when they face Fulham at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday.
The big-spending Blues have lurched from one poor performance to another this season, the most recent of which was a 1-0 semi-final first leg defeat at Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.
Prior to that Riverside reverse, Mauricio Pochettino’s men were beginning to show signs that they were finally getting their act together, having won three games on the spin for just the second time this season.
The Blues boss will be hoping that Teesside tumble was just a blip and that his side can get back on track when London rivals Fulham come to town.
Marco Silva’s men ended 2023 on a high note by earning a well-deserved 2-1 win over Arsenal at Craven Cottage on New Year’s Eve.
The Cottagers were also in Carabao Cup action in midweek, losing narrowly to Premier League leaders Liverpool in a 2-1 defeat at Anfield.
Outright Betting
Despite winning just four of their 10 Premier League home games this season, Chelsea go into this all-London affair as short priced 3/5 favourites at Bet 365.
Last season’s corresponding fixture ended all square but the same outcome here is as big as 16/5 (Bet 365) while a Whites win is trading at a whopping 4/1 with William Hill.
Betting Angles
Chelsea make little appeal at the above-mentioned price so I'll instead opt for a player-based Bet Builder and back Cole Palmer to have a shot on target and Antonee Robinson to commit a foul at 19/20 at PaddyPower.
The performances of Cole Palmer have been one of the few beacons of hope and light in what is turning out to be yet another turbulent season at Stamford Bridge.
The 21-year-old forward has put in a number of eye-catching performances for the Blues this season, bagging a brace at Luton a fortnight ago to take his top-flight tally for the season to eight goals in 17 appearances.
Across that stretch of games, Palmer has averaged exactly one shot on target per 90 and I expect that trend to continue when he comes up against a Fulham team who rarely keep the back door shut when on their travels.
With Antonee Robinson expected to be Palmer's direct opponent on Saturday, I'll also back the Fulham defender to give away a minimum of one foul during this dust-up.
The American left-back is averaging one foul per 90 in the top-flight this term, clocking up four yellow cards for good measure across his 19 appearances thus far.
For reasons already touched on previously, I'm also going to back Cole Palmer To Score or Assist during this capital clash at 13/10 with PaddyPower.
Palmer has quickly become a talismanic figure for the Blues, having chipped in with eight goals and four assists in 17 top-flight outings this term, not to mention he has also been on penalty duty which is always an added incentive when delving into this market.
This English Premier League match between Chelsea and Fulham will be played on Jan 13, 2024 and kick off at 12:30. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Fulham prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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