Chelsea v Fulham: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Chelsea lost ground on pacesetters Liverpool over the weekend as they were held to a draw at Everton and they face another tricky assignment on Boxing Day as West London rivals Fulham make the short trip to Stamford Bridge.

A win would see Chelsea move to within a point of Liverpool, at least briefly, as the Merseyside outfit are involved in the late kick-off but Fulham will arrive feeling they can get a result.

The Cottagers sit in ninth spot but European qualification is a very real possibility as only six points separate Brighton in 10th from Nottingham Forest in fourth going into the festive period. 

Chelsea vs Fulham betting tips and predictions

Chelsea to win and both teams to score - 8/5

Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park last time out but they will feel hard done by to have missed out on maximum points as they dominated for large periods and created more chances than their hosts.

A return to Stamford Bridge should provide an opportunity to get back to winning ways as they have won five of their last six at home and haven’t tasted defeat in front of their own fans since Manchester City's visit in the opening round of games.

The Blues beat Fulham twice last season and the Cottagers have managed just two wins in eight attempts on the road in the league so far this term.

Fulham are generally tough to beat, they’ve only lost four league games all season, but Chelsea’s home record suggests they can come out on top - but a Fulham goal also looks likely.

Chelsea have conceded nine goals in their eight home Premier League games and have only kept one clean sheet at Stamford Bridge in this competition.

Fulham drew a blank at Manchester United in their first away game of the season but haven’t been kept quiet since, scoring in nine successive trips across all competitions - including at Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool - so they should at least be able to get on the scoresheet even if taking any points is a step too far. 

Jadon Sancho to score anytime - 9/4

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson had a fairly poor game against Everton and his second-half replacement Christopher Nkunku didn’t offer much either, although he was only given 15 minutes of game time.

Jackson should keep his starting spot but that is by no means a given here so rather than focus on one of the usual suspects for an anytime goal it could be worth looking a bit further down the betting and Jadon Sancho could be a contender.

Sancho looked to be dropping right down the pecking order at Chelsea not too long ago but he’s started the last three games and boss Enzo Maresca should keep the faith with the Manchester United loanee on Boxing Day.

The 24-year-old’s route back into the starting XI came via a strong showing in the Conference League against Heidenheim where he had two assists. Since then, Sancho has scored two goals in his last four Premier League games (three starts) and he’s been getting plenty of chances with eight attempts in total in his last five league games.

Sancho is a player who tends to be accurate and just 25% of his shots have been recorded as officially off-target, so he appeals at a good price for a goal against Fulham. 

Alex Iwobi over 1.5 shots - 13/8

Fulham will look to take the game to Chelsea and they should be able to carve out a few chances against a side who struggle for clean sheets.

One man who has had no issue with trying his luck this season for the Cottagers is Alex Iwobi, who has already matched his total of five Premier League goals from last season in 13 fewer appearances.

The Nigerian averages 1.9 shots per game and had six attempts in total against Southampton last time out.

Iwobi has had at least two attempts in eight of his last nine Premier League games, including trips to Tottenham and Liverpool, so over 1.5 shots looks a reasonable target for the Fulham attacker at Stamford Bridge. 

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Chelsea v Fulham odds

Chelsea - 12/25
Draw - 15/4
Fulham - 5/1

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.