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After failing to score against Everton, Chelsea will have to make up ground in the title race during the London derby against Fulham. Enzo Maresca’s Blues return to Stamford Bridge for this match, but when everyone has to do what they can to stay perfect while hopping Liverpool drop points, the draw against Everton is something that will loom until the Blues win again.
Here are our storylines, how to watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Thursday December 26 | Time: 10am ET
- Location: Stamford Bridge-London
- Live stream: Peacock
- Chances: Chelsea-210; Sign +360; Fulham +500
Storylines
Chelsea: Maresca is starting to integrate Reece James back into training, but it is still too early to expect him to play a role. Wesley Fofana is also someone who is on the mend, but won’t be available until the new year. An outside defender will return to the fold following Marc Cucurella’s red card suspension, while Romeo Lavia could be available to play, making Maresca’s midfield selection more difficult.
Chelsea predicted XI: Robert Sanchez, Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Axel Disasi, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Jadon Sancho, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Nicolas Jackson
Fulham: Emile Smith Rowe could return, which would be a huge boost to Fulham’s attacking options in the match. The presence of Smith Rowe alongside Andreas Pereira is one of the reasons the Cottagers have filled the table and bringing the duo back together could only be a good thing. Harrison Reed is also close to returning from a knee injury, but Boxing Day comes too soon. Reiss Nelson and Kenny Tete are absent for a long time.
Fulham predicted XI: Bernd Leno, Antonee Robinson, Calvin Bassey, Joachim Andersen, Timothy Castagne, Andreas Pereira, Tom Cairney, Harry Wilson, Emile Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi, Raul Jimenez
Prediction
The Blues will return to their winning ways. Fulham are improving, but they still don’t have enough to keep up with Chelsea. Choose: Chelsea3, Fulham1