Comments and predictions for Chelsea vs Fulham: Home team dominates

Chelsea and Fulham will face off in a West London derby at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day in the Premier League.

Hosts Chelsea saw their impressive winning streak halted after a goalless draw against a resilient Everton on Sunday, while Fulham were held to a 0-0 draw by relegation-threatened Southampton over the weekend.

Latest Chelsea vs Fulham squad information

Chelsea are expected to make a change at the back after the draw with Everton, with Axel Disasi coming in at right-back and Malo Gusto moving to the left. With Marc Cucurella now suspended, manager Mauricio Pochettino could deploy a more traditional defence.

Romeo Lavia is in line to return from injury, with the boss confirming the Everton game was too soon for the Belgian midfielder. However, Reece James and Wesley Fofana remain sidelined with hamstring injuries. Centre-back Benoit Badiashile is also out, but his replacement Tosin Adarabioyo was impressive, making a crucial save to deny Everton's Iliman Ndiaye.

Fulham's Emile Smith Rowe is in danger of missing the draw with Southampton with a foot injury, while Marco Silva's side are also facing a midfield crisis with Sasa Lukic and Sander Berge both doubtful.

However, Fulham welcome back Andreas Pereira from suspension, who could replace young talent Josh King, who made his Premier League debut last weekend and left a positive impression.

Fulham will also be without Kenny Tete and Reiss Nelson, who have both been ruled out until at least February due to injury. Up front, Silva will have to choose between Raul Jimenez or Rodrigo Muniz, who started against Southampton.

Latest Chelsea vs Fulham expected lineup

Chelsea:

Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Jackson

Fulham:

Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Cairney, Pereira, Iwobi; Wilson, Jimenez, Adama

Latest Chelsea vs Fulham football review

Chelsea ended a run of five consecutive Premier League wins – the longest such run of any team in a season – when they were held to a dogged 0-0 draw by Everton on Sunday.

It was the first time Enzo Maresca's side had failed to win since a 1-1 draw with Arsenal before the international break in November, and the first time they had failed to score in a Premier League game since the opening day of the season.

Despite being held to a draw and falling four points behind Liverpool at the top of the table, Chelsea still maintained a 12-match unbeaten streak, with a fairly favorable upcoming schedule.

In theory, a run of five consecutive games against Fulham, Ipswich Town, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Wolves would give Chelsea the chance to continue chasing Liverpool in the title race. However, any misstep could cost them dearly.

However, despite Chelsea's impressive recent form, their tally of 35 points is the lowest of a second-placed team at Christmas since 2010, a testament to the fierce competition this year.

In terms of head-to-head history, Chelsea completely dominate Fulham at Stamford Bridge, with a 19-match unbeaten streak stretching back to 1979. Notably, Chelsea also won two Boxing Day matches against London sides in the seasons they won the title, in 2005-06 and 2014-15.

On the other hand, Fulham missed the chance to close in on the top group when they were held to a goalless draw at home by bottom side Southampton. Despite some notable finishes from Harry Wilson and Adama Traore, Fulham's overall performance in the match was lacklustre.

Now just two points off the European places thanks to draws against Arsenal and Liverpool, Fulham are struggling to draw too many games. They have won just one of their last six games, and Chelsea are clearly not the ideal opponents to improve their form against.

In 34 Premier League meetings, Fulham have only beaten Chelsea twice, a win rate of 6% – the lowest in the history of the competition between teams that have met at least 20 times. Coach Marco Silva also has an unimpressive record against Chelsea, with just 2 wins in 10 meetings when leading Fulham, Watford and Everton.

Chelsea vs Fulham score prediction

Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the following results for the Chelsea vs Fulham match:

• Sportsmole: Chelsea 2-0 Fulham

• WhoScore: Chelsea 3-1 Fulham
• Our prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Fulham

When and where to watch Chelsea vs Fulham live?

To watch the Chelsea vs Fulham match live in the Premier League at 10:00 p.m. on December 26, viewers can watch it on K+ Sport, K+PM or online sports channels. Wish you all have fun watching football.

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