Premier League Preview: Chelsea vs. Fulham

On Saturday (12:30pm ET, live on NBCSN and online via NBC Sports Live Extra) the Cottagers make the short trip up the Kings Road to face West London rivals Chelsea, as just two miles separate the two capital clubs.

  • Fulham have only beaten Chelsea once in 34 league and cup meetings, a run spanning 34 years
  • Four of the last five games between these two have ended in draws
  • Chelsea's Jose Mourinho has never lost a Premier League home game (W48, D14)

What a difference a week makes.

Last Saturday everyone was praising Jose Mourinho's solid, yet unspectacular, return to the hot seat at Stamford Bridge. But following a 1-0 defeat to Everton and a shock 2-1 home loss to FC Basel in the Champions League on Wednesday, the Blues are under pressure to pull out a win against neighbors Fulham.

For the full schedule of NBC Sports' coverage of Premier League Soccer, visit http://www.nbcsports.com/PremierLeagueSchedule

On Saturday (12:30pm ET, live on NBCSN and online via NBC Sports Live Extra) the Cottagers make the short trip up the Kings Road to face West London rivals Chelsea, as just two miles separate the two capital clubs. But don't be fooled by their close proximity, there will be no neighborly love shown on Saturday afternoon at the Bridge.

As mentioned, Chelsea desperately want to get back to winning ways, while Fulham are also struggling after gaining just one point since the opening day of the season. And Martin Jol's men have a terrible record against Chelsea.

The last time Fulham beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Gordon Davies and John Beck scored the goals in a 2-0 victory in 1979. And the last time Chelsea have tasted defeat against Fulham was back in 2006 when Luis Boa Morte scored the lone goal in 1-0 win.

As for team news, Mourinho has some really interesting decisions to make following the disappointing midweek defeat to Basel. Captain John Terry could return to defense after injury, while Fernando Torres and Juan Mata may also come back into the lineup after being left out. 

Injury-wise, Fulham are still without Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg following his bad opening-day injury, while Bryan Ruiz, Aaron Hughes and Matthew Briggs are also missing. However, the big concern for the Cottagers is star striker Dimitar Berbatov, who will undergo a late fitness test to try and make the West London Derby.

What they're saying

Jose Mourinho on facing Fulham: "I think they have a very experienced team, with players completely adapted to the Premier League. They know everything about Derbies and everything about the Premier League, a midfield with Parker and Sidwell is a great example of their experience at this level. I think Fulham are a difficult opponent, it is going to be a difficult match for us. We need points, so do they. Between the needs of the two teams, plus the local derby, I think it will be a proper Premier League match."

Martin Jol on Chelsea's struggles: "They will be a little insecure. That is always an advantage, but you never know, maybe they are so fired up to win this third game in the week, they will probably be more motivated than before. So that maybe is a disadvantage for us. They lost against Everton and against Basel, who is a very good team, so I don't think they would like to lose a third match in six or seven days."

Prediction

This one will be a nervy encounter at Stamford Bridge in the late game on Saturday, and only an early goal will help settle the home crowd. After two-straight defeats, surely Mourinho's "young-eggs" will not have yolk all over their faces when the final whistle blows against rivals Fulham. I expect to see plenty of changes for Chelsea, with Fernando Torres and Juan Mata coming into the lineup as the 'Special One' is still figuring out his best XI. He has to figure it out quickly, as Chelsea have made their worst start to a PL season since 2003 with seven points from four games. Regardless of their problems, I see Chelsea winning this game.... just.

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