Chelsea Vs Fulham
Chelsea Vs Fulham Saturday 1st May 2021 – 17:30 (Sky Sports)
English Premier League
Pick: Under 2.5 Goals
Odds: 22/25
Bookmaker: Unibet
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 28th April 2021)
Preview: Time is running out for Fulham to preserve their status as a Premier League club, ideally needing all three points from this weekend’s trip to Stamford Bridge. Unfortunately for them, Chelsea will be taking a strong claim for all three points in their ongoing pursuit of a top-four finish.
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Table of Contents
Chelsea – Top four back in Blue hands?
Timo Werner’s time in England has felt deceptively underwhelming, largely owing to some high-profile misses and prolonged goal droughts, but it is easy to overlook the fact that no Chelsea player has had a hand in more goals this season (11 goals, 9 assists) than the German international. His latest contribution could turn out to be his most telling, stroking home the winner last week against West Ham.
That win lifted the Blues (W16 D10 L7) above their opponents and into that coveted fourth position, now three points clear, whilst boasting a superior goal difference, on the Hammers with five rounds left to play. We could, therefore, be witnessing one of the best recent campaigns in the club’s history, with an FA Cup final to look forward to at the end of the month following victory over Man City in April.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are also well placed to reach a first final of the Champions League since 2012, when they lifted the trophy. This after a 1-1 draw in Spain with Real Madrid on Tuesday that could, on the balance of play, been better for Thomas Tuchel’s men had they took their chances – with aforementioned Mr. Werner the most culpable. All the same, it extends their unbeaten run across all competitions to four (W2 D2).
Fulham – Cottagers relieved to be back on the road?
While Scott Parker won’t be waving the white flag anytime soon, it is now looking increasingly likely that Fulham (W5 D12 L16) will once again be competing in the Championship next season. Last week’s 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium with Arsenal was creditable but also a huge blow to their chances of staying up, conceding with almost the last kick of the game as two priceless points slipped through their grasp.
The Cottagers are now winless in the league since turning Liverpool over at Anfield in early March. That their sole win in eight, having lost four of the last five, the point at Arsenal halting a run of four consecutive losses which has massively contributed to the gap on safety widening to seven points. Put simply, Fulham need wins in what remains of this season, beginning with Saturday’s West London derby.
Unfortunately, their prospects appear bleak at best. Fulham are currently without a win across their last 23 London derbies (D5 L18) – though did avoid defeat in the last three that were played away from home, with draws at Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Tottenham this season. Parker will also be heartened by the fact only Aston Villa have beaten his team on their travels since December (W2 D7).
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Chelsea Vs Fulham Betting Advice
In the middle part of the season, Fulham were among the best defensive sides in the league. However, they have now gone five games without a clean sheet – their longest run since December – and allowed a mediocre Arsenal to generate nearly 3xG in last week’s 1-1 draw. They do tend to score on the road, though, doing so in six of the last seven away matches including in a 1-0 win at Liverpool.
Chelsea Vs Fulham – Key Facts:
- Stamford Bridge has not been a happy hunting ground for Fulham who are without a win in 18 games (D8 L10) in any competition away to Chelsea, since a 2-0 victory in 1979.
- Timo Werner ended his eight game goal drought last time out in the Premier League, however, Chelsea have still only managed to win one of their last four at home (D2 L1).
- Last week’s draw at Arsenal means Fulham have avoided defeat in three of four away London derbies in 2020/21, and lost only once across their previous ten Premier League away games (W2 D7).
The deterioration in Fulham’s defensive numbers is a concern because I quite like the idea that this is a low-scoring encounter. Six of the last seven Fulham away games featured no more than two goals, as was the case in seven of the eight home games under Thomas Tuchel for Chelsea. Yet we can still get odds close to even money about there being less than three goals at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
Best Betting Odds – Chelsea Vs Fulham
Chelsea – 9/20 (Betway)
Draw – 16/5 (BetVictor)
Fulham – 15/2 (Unibet)
