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Match preview for Fulham vs Chelsea
Calum McFarlane hopes his short stint at the helm Chelsea will be crowned by a victory at Fulham tomorrow evening.
McFarlane moved from coaching the club’s under-21s to the first team for Sunday’s game at Manchester City following the New Year’s Day departure of Enzo Maresca.
Chelsea this morning confirmed the appointment of Liam Rosenior as their new head coach on a six-and-a-half year contract, but the former Strasbourg boss will be in the stands at Craven Cottage with McFarlane on the touchline for the final time.
And a repeat of the performance at the Etihad, which saw Enzo Fernández claim a share of the spoils with a late equalizer, would be the ideal way to sign, according to McFarlane.
Asked what he hoped for from his side, he said: “The same thing we did against City. Try to prepare as best we can with the limited time we have and try to build on that performance in the second half. They know the confidence we have in them and we just want to continue to build on that.”
The visitors will be boosted by the return from suspension of Moises Caicedo and McFarlane has hinted the Ecuador international will return straight to the starting XI.
He added: “Everyone knows how well Moises has played this year. Since he arrived at the club he has been a top player, potentially the best player in the world in his position. I think he will help us with that tomorrow.
“We definitely missed parts of his game in the first half [at City]. But like you said, Andrey [Santos] came on, was outstanding in the second half, really gave us a foothold to control the game both in and out of possession. So hopefully with Moises not being suspended, being available, we should be able to really control that midfield area.
Chelsea enter the match in fifth place in the Premier League and McFarlane thinks it’s an exciting time to be a Blues fan.
“Definitely. A really talented group, young and hungry, showed they can play at the highest level against the best teams,” he said. “Everyone associated with the club should be proud of their performance on Sunday and, going forward, this team has huge potential, so we should all be excited.”
Fulham go into the game strengthened by their latest 2-2 draw against champions Liverpool on Sunday, thanks to Harrison Reed’s incredible late strike.
The Cottagers also have added incentive to beat their local rivals after losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in August in a match best remembered for the incorrect disallowance of a Fulham goal – a fact later admitted by referee chief Howard Webb.
“It’s special,” Fulham manager Marco Silva said of the match. “It’s special, because we know what happened. We look at last season, how we won away, how we lost at home, the two games with late goals.
“It really hurt us, our fans, this football club, that we couldn’t win the game at Stamford Bridge. [this season].
“The way the team played almost perfectly in the first half, in a very difficult match against a top team, the way the team played and everything that happened in that match, really hurt this football club. I’m not talking about one or two people, or just the players – us, the football club, the way things happened that Saturday morning.
“It is what it is – now it’s another opportunity for us to take advantage, take on a big challenge with our fans and play a derby the way a derby should be played. It’s as simple as that.
“It’s a new game, a new story. I don’t want anyone to think about the past, we have to look to the future, and what will be most important is the next one. It’s a special game.”
Team news for Fulham vs Chelsea
Fulham will be without Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze who are still at the Africa Cup of Nations. Josh King, Kenny Tete and Rodrigo Muniz are injured. Ryan Sessegnon could be on the bench.
Caicedo returns for Chelsea while Robert Sanchez, Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana, who missed the City game, could also return after minor issues. Levi Colwill and Romeo Lavia are sidelined.
Predicted line-ups for Fulham vs Chelsea
Fulham: Leno; Diop, Andersen, Cuenca; Castagne, Lucic, Bergé, Robinson; Wilson, Smith-Rowe, Jimenez
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez, Neto, Palmer, Estevao; Rock
How to watch Fulham vs Chelsea: TV and online streams
Fulham v Chelsea kicks off at 7.30pm tomorrow evening. It is available on Sky Sports in the UK and can be streamed via the Sky Go app.
It is available to view worldwide via your local Premier League rights holder. For full listings, click HERE.
