Fulham vs Chelsea prediction: Premier League betting tips & odds

Read the latest odds and tips as two local rivals face off in a west London derby in the Premier League

Fulham vs Chelsea betting tips

• Draw & both teams to score - 16/5 Ladbrokes
• Enzo Fernandez to score or assist - 13/8 Bet365

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It’s west London derby time in the Premier League with Fulham hosting a Chelsea side on the verge of a new era after appointing Liam Rosenior as their new manager.

Rosenior has swapped Strasbourg for Stamford Bridge, signing a six-year deal with the Blues, who decided to sack former boss Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day.

The somewhat surprising departure of Maresca meant that U21s manager Calum McFarlane took charge of the side as they fought to a 1-1 draw away to Manchester City last weekend, and he’ll be in charge again this evening.

Rosenior will watch his new side from the stands this evening ahead of taking charge for the first time against Charlton in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Chelsea fans are no doubt keen to see how the team look under the 41-year-old, though McFarlane taking charge of one more match may not necessarily be a bad thing considering the performance at the Etihad.

While Chelsea are no longer in the title race, there is plenty to fight for in the league – with the club currently in fifth and priced above evens in the Premier League top four odds – as well as in domestic cups and in Europe, and Rosenior will have to hit the ground running as he arrives back in English football.

And he could well get a hand with a positive result this week, with the Blues travelling across the capital to face one of their biggest local rivals.

Fulham’s 2-2 draw to Liverpool came courtesy of a spectacular equaliser late on, and though they are currently six places below Chelsea in 11th, the gap is only three points as we cross the halfway point of the season.

And while a win would take the Cottagers level on points with their local rivals, it is Chelsea who are seen as firm favourites, with betting sites in the latest Premier League odds versus a slight underdog price for a home victory.

Fulham vs Chelsea betting preview: Nothing to separate rivals

While Maresca’s departure could be put down to a number of factors, a mixed run of results in recent weeks certainly didn’t help the Italian, and the Blues make the trip to Craven Cottage with just one win in their last seven league matches.

Though they have also struggled with injuries and absences like many other sides, the nature of Chelsea’s recent performances has been somewhat alarming, with plenty of fans and pundits questioning whether some members of the squad are good enough to deliver on the expectations at Stamford Bridge.

Nevertheless, there is plenty of talent in the Blues squad, and they still sit in fifth with a real chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Rosenior will have a lot to work with when he takes his post, though he will likely not be afforded a lot of time if things don’t go well pretty much from the off.

And this type of match offers a good measure of where Chelsea are at the moment in other ways, as they face a Fulham side who have been in solid form at home despite their own run of mixed performances.

The Cottagers have held both Manchester United and Liverpool to draws at Craven Cottage while also running Arsenal and City very close, and their last five league matches have produced three wins and two draws.

While these results suggest commendable form, those wins all came against relegation candidates in Burnley, Forest and West Ham, and while the hosts can trouble anyone at home on their day, it seems a stretch to suggest they’ll beat a Chelsea side with plenty to prove.

The draw to City showed that Chelsea have more than enough quality and nous to grind out results against the league’s best, and with plenty of players playing for a spot and a new manager to impress, they should get a result this week.

However, we don’t think either side will be good enough to get the win. Fulham have scored eight and conceded five over their last five, while Chelsea have scored eight and conceded seven, so it looks like both sides will score at Craven Cottage, and we think a draw is the most likely result at a decent price on football betting sites.

Fulham vs Chelsea prediction 1: Draw and both teams to score - 16/5 Ladbrokes

Fulham vs Chelsea best bet: Fernandez can play a crucial role

Enzo Fernandez stepped up when it mattered and was arguably the man of the match in the draw to City, with his late goal snatching a positive result for the managerless Blues.

The Argentine has scored six goals and registered one assist so far this term, and while he has been more of attacking threat at other points in the season – notably when deployed higher in the absence of an injured Cole Palmer – the midfielder has still scored two goals over his last two matches, netting against both City and Bournemouth.

Fernandez has two assists and one goal across his last three matches against Fulham and found the net in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge in August. So, with teammates including Palmer offering less value at as low as 20/21 on betting apps, we’re backing the Argentine to register a goal contribution at Craven Cottage.

Fulham vs Chelsea prediction 2: Enzo Fernandez to score or assist - 13/8 Bet365

Fulham vs Chelsea team news

Fulham: The key trio of Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze and Alex Iwobi remain on Afcon duty, while the game will likely arrive too soon for Ryan Sessegnon and Kenny Tete. However, Joshua King could make a return and will face a late fitness test.

Chelsea: Wesley Fofana should recover from illness in time to return to the squad, while Moises Caicedo is once again available after serving his suspension. Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez will face late fitness tests, with the latter forced to sit out the draw with City. Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and Levi Colwill remain the longer-term absentees.

Fulham vs Chelsea predicted line-ups

Fulham: Leno; Diop, Andersen, Cuenca; Castagne, Lukic, Berge, Robinson; Wilson, Smith-Rowe; Jimenez.

Chelsea: Jorgensen; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Gusto; Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Pedro.

Free bets for the Premier League

The top-flight action continues on Thursday with a big game at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal entertain Liverpool, and punters can grab enhanced odds of 40/1 on a Gunners win with talkSPORT BET.

The special talkSPORT BET sign-up offer is only available to new customers who sign up using the link above and opt in to the Arsenal vs Liverpool promotion.

Next, they’ll need to make a deposit of at least £5 before placing a maximum £1 bet on Arsenal to win at the usual match odds.

Should the Gunners win for the sixth league game in a row, bettors will be paid out on the £1 bet in cash, with the remaining amount credited as free bets to equal a payout at odds of 40/1.

Responsible gambling

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Even the most knowledgeable racing punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.

It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.

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