Fulham vs Chelsea LIVE commentary: Blues seek to build on Carabao Cup win against local rivals
Chelsea will look to end their winless Premier League run next Monday when they face Fulham, live and exclusively on talkSPORT.
The Blues have won just one league game this season and didn't manage to score a single top-flight goal in September.
But they sealed a morale-boosting victory over Brighton at Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup and will seek to build on that.
Fulham, though, have kept back-to-back clean sheets and won their last home league game by the same 1-0 scoreline against Luton Town.
Marco Silva's side also beat the Blues 2-1 in this very same fixture last year, so will be confident in doing so again.
Fulham vs Chelsea: talkSPORT coverage
This Premier League clash is scheduled to take place on October, Monday 2.
Kick-off at Craven Cottage is set for 8pm.
talkSPORT will have live and exclusive coverage from west London, with Adrian Durham serving as your presenter.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
talkSPORT.com will also be running a live blog to cover all the action as well.
Fulham vs Chelsea: Team news
Former Blues winger Willian is likely to start for the hosts, with Adama Traore struggling due to a hamstring issue.
Tosin Adarabioyo is out with a long-term groin injury, while Sasa Lukic and Kenny Tete are also doubtful.
Meanwhile, Armando Broja has now fully recovered from his ACL suffered last year and could lead the line, as Nicolas Jackson is suspended after picking up five yellow cards.
Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Carney Chukwuemeka all could be in contention to play some part.
But Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana and Christopher Nkunku remain absent for the foreseeable future.
However, Ben Chilwell is an early doubt after picking up a hamstring issue.
Fulham vs Chelsea: What has been said?
Mauricio Pochettino was delighted with his team's display against Brighton.
He said: "It's really important for us to get the victory and that we're through to the next round after a few games where we didn't score or win.
"It should be, it must be [a turning point]. It's about time. Today there were many positive things. Today we saw the players fighting to give their best. It's about time."
Fulham vs Chelsea: Match facts
- Fulham picked up four points against Chelsea in the Premier League last season (W1 D1), as many points as they'd earned in their previous 15 against the Blues (W0 D4 L11).
- Chelsea lost this exact fixture 2-1 last season – only once before have they ever lost consecutive away league games against Fulham, doing so in April 1977 while in the second tier.
- Chelsea have trailed for just 39 minutes across their last 14 Premier League games against Fulham, with all of that time spent trailing coming in this exact fixture last term.
- Chelsea are winless in their last 18 Premier League games against sides starting the day above them in the table (D5 L13) since a 2-1 win over 3rd-place Leicester in May 2021 when the Blues began the day 4th. They have lost eight of their last nine such matches away from home (D1) since a 2-1 win at table-toppers Man City in May 2021.
- Fulham are winless in their last nine Premier League London derbies (D4 L5), since beating Chelsea 2-1 back in January. This will be their fourth derby already in 2023-24, losing their first at home to Brentford (0-3) before drawing at both Arsenal (2-2) and Crystal Palace (0-0).
- Chelsea have failed to score in each of their last three Premier League games, despite attempting 45 shots (15 per game) with a total expected goals tally of 5.5 in this run. The Blues last went four league games without scoring in September 2007, while the last side managed by Mauricio Pochettino to go four league matches without a goal was Espanyol in December 2009 (run of 5).
- Heading into MD7, no side has kept more clean sheets in the Premier League this season than Fulham (3 – level with Man City), keeping back-to-back shutouts in the competition for the first time since a run of three ending in February (a run which started with a goalless draw against Chelsea).
- This will be Chelsea’s first Premier League game on a Monday since beating Everton 2-0 in March 2021. Indeed, the Blues have lost just two of their last 17 league matches played on a Monday (W11 D4) and are unbeaten in five since a 0-2 loss at Stamford Bridge against Man Utd in February 2020.
- Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has exactly the same record after six Premier League games in charge of the Blues as he did with Southampton (P6 W1 D2 L3). He then went unbeaten in his next six league games with the Saints, picking up 12 points (W3 D3).
- Four of Willian’s five Premier League goals for Fulham have come at Craven Cottage, including one against his former side Chelsea in this exact fixture last season. The Brazilian made 234 league appearances for the Blues between 2013 and 2020, scoring 37 goals and providing 33 assists.
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