FC Chelsea vs. FC Fulham
Chelsea welcomes Fulham to the West London derby, and the Blues are in impressive form after their impressive 5-1 away win against West Ham. With four points in fourth place, the hosts are in a much better position than the Cottagers, who are still waiting for their first win of the season after two draws and are in 13th place. The most recent meeting between the two sides in April ended in a 2-1 win for Chelsea at Craven Cottage, and historically, the Blues have dominated this fixture with four wins in the last five encounters. Particularly interesting: Fulham’s only win in this series came at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day 2024. Both coaches face personnel challenges, with Maresca having to do without Colwill, Badiashile, and the suspended Mudryk, while Silva has a nearly full squad at his disposal.
- Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
- Date and time: 08/30/2025, 1:30 p.m.
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 3)
Chelsea form & record check
Chelsea are in exceptional form and already occupy fourth place in the table after two matchdays. However, it was the 5-1 triumph over West Ham that really highlighted the offensive power of this team. The Blues were behind after Lucas Paquetá’s early goal, but then unleashed a veritable flood of goals. João Pedro scored his first Premier League goal for Chelsea and gave the starting signal for the comeback. Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, and Trevoh Chalobah completed the goal fest. João Pedro’s role as an assist provider was particularly notable, setting up both Neto and Chalobah. The goalless draw against Crystal Palace at the start of the season now seems like a minor slip-up. Enzo Maresca’s team impressively demonstrated at West Ham how quickly they can switch from defensive stability to explosive offense. The way Chelsea reacted after falling behind suggests a mentally strong squad. Cole Palmer’s injury situation is not entirely without problems. The Englishman already had to sit out the West Ham game and could also miss the Fulham match, which would see João Pedro return to the starting lineup. With only four points behind Liverpool and level on points with Nottingham Forest, Chelsea are already in a solid position.
Chelsea are likely to line up in the tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation that Maresca has favored in previous games this season. However, the line-up could be affected by a number of personnel challenges. Particularly painful is the long-term absence of Colwill, who will be out until April 2026 with a cruciate ligament rupture. Badiashile will also be sidelined until September with a muscle injury. Chalobah and Adarabioyo could therefore be paired in central defense, while Gusto and Cucurella are likely to occupy the full-back positions. Caicedo and Fernández appear to be first-choice in central midfield, with the latter remaining an important player for the time being despite ongoing speculation about a possible move to Real Madrid. In the attacking trio, Estêvão could get another chance after making his debut in the starting lineup against West Ham. Pedro and Neto are likely to complete the attack behind Delap, who could play as a striker.
Fulham Form & Record Check
The Cottagers are starting the 2025/26 season with mixed feelings. After two draws in the league, Fulham are in 13th place with two points, just one point behind Crystal Palace in 12th. Their form so far has followed a classic pattern: solid defensively, but lacking the decisive punch up front. The 1-1 draw with Brighton in their opening game was symptomatic of Fulham’s current form. Rodrigo Muniz saved a point in the 97th minute after the team had been too passive for long periods. Against Manchester United, it was another 1-1 draw, but this time with a much more convincing performance. Marco Silva had set his team up tactically cleverly and exploited the Red Devils’ structural weaknesses. Emile Smith Rowe’s performance as a substitute was particularly noteworthy. The new signing took just 93 seconds after coming on to score the equalizer. His accuracy could become an important factor for Silva. The coach is currently rotating skillfully between different systems, with the attacking players switching positions flexibly. The recent 2-0 win in the League Cup against Bristol City finally brought the first victory of the season. Jiménez showed his old form and scored himself after an early own goal.
Marco Silva is likely to stick with his tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation, which successfully kept Fulham in the Premier League last season. In defense, Cuenca could partner Diop in central defense, with Castagne and Robinson occupying the full-back positions. The center of midfield will likely be controlled by Reed and Cairney, with the captain acting as the creative force. In the attacking trio behind them, Wilson, Smith Rowe, and Iwobi could provide the necessary punch. Jiménez would then take over as the target man after his impressive performance in the Carabao Cup. The Cottagers have no major absences to contend with, which gives Silva various tactical options. The bench offers quality alternatives for possible system changes during the game with players such as Berge, Lukić, and Traoré.
H2H Chelsea – Fulham Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The last five meetings between Chelsea and Fulham paint a clear picture: the Blues dominate the derby with four wins and only one defeat. There has never been a draw between the two London teams during this period. Chelsea are on an impressive run, having scored at least once in all five encounters. The Blues have been particularly strong in the first half, winning four of the last five games against Fulham. Chelsea’s only defeat came at home in December 2024, when they lost 2-1. However, that was also the last time Fulham scored in this head-to-head matchup. Before that, Chelsea won three times in a row, including a 2-0 away win at Fulham in October 2023. It is striking that both teams usually score their goals early on. In the second half, there have never been more than 1.5 goals in the last three encounters. The games usually remain low-scoring, with all five matches ending with less than 3.5 goals. Fulham have been waiting for a goal at half-time against Chelsea for four games.
Despite injury concerns, Chelsea have shown impressive dominance in the first half, winning the first 45 minutes in four of their last five games. This early strength, combined with Fofana and Adarabioyo as available options for central defense, makes the half-time win a solid bet. The over 2.5 goals bet is supported by the offensive performances of both teams: Chelsea’s five different goalscorers against West Ham demonstrate their attacking threat, while Fulham have a prolific striker in Smith Rowe. Interestingly, the “both teams to score” odds at 3.6 also offer attractive value, as the available defenders may not be able to provide their usual defensive stability, while Fulham’s 80% scoring rate in recent games underlines their offensive power. The bookmakers are offering 1.6 for a home win, which our analysis considers justified, but the side bets could well be more lucrative.
