Chelsea’s new head coach, Liam Rosenior is predicted to be in attendance however won’t main the workforce simply but because the Blues make the brief journey down the street to Craven Cottage, to tackle pleasant rivals Fulham. As an alternative of Rosenior, will probably be interim head coach Calum McFarlane calling the pictures, and hopefully simply as successfully as he did over the weekend, when he engineered a really credible 1-1 draw away towards Manchester Metropolis.
Alas, the one workforce to really profit from that draw had been Arsenal, who now have a six level lead on the prime of the desk, simply previous the midway mark of the season.
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For Chelsea, it’s now only one win in our final eight Premier League matches, accumulating simply eight factors from the 24 on supply. One way or the other we’re nonetheless in fifth, however we’re going to have to start out selecting up factors if we wish to stay within the Champions League locations by season’s finish.
Date / Time: Wednesday, January 7, 19.30 GMT; 2:30pm EST; 1am IST (subsequent day)Venue: Craven Cottage, SW6Referee: Peter Bankes (on pitch); John Brooks (VAR)Forecast: Partly sunny and a slight breeze; no extra snow sadly
On TV: Sky Sports activities Soccer (UK); none (USA); Star Sports activities Choose HD2 (India); none (NGA); Streaming: Sky Go (UK); Peacock (USA); JioHotstar (India); DStv Now, SuperSport GOtv (NGA)
Fulham workforce information: It’s been a good festive interval for midtable (as normal) Fulham, getting attracts towards Liverpool and Crystal Palace and wins towards West Ham and Nottingham Forest. Their draw towards Liverpool, final day out, noticed each groups rating in added-on time, with Fulham equalizing on a impossible Aim of the Season worldie from Harrison Reed: simply his fourth aim in over 200 appearances for the membership.
And so they’ve achieved all that regardless of shedding a trio of key gamers to Nigeria on the Africa Cup of Nations (Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Samuel Chukwueze), and lacking a number of others via harm (Josh King, Kenny Tete, and Rodrigo Muniz). In higher information for them, Ryan Sessegnon seems set to return from a hamstring downside.
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Supervisor Marco Silva is weary of the psychological and bodily tolls these video games have taken on his gamers, although such issues can fall by the wayside relating to particular derbies (even pleasant ones), particularly when one facet could really feel wronged by a sure resolution (i.e. Josh King’s aim getting dominated within the reverse fixture on the Bridge earlier this season).
“It’s particular. It’s particular, as a result of we all know what’s occurred. […] It actually damage ourselves, our followers, this soccer membership, the best way we weren’t in a position to win the sport at Stamford Bridge. The way in which the workforce carried out nearly completely first half, in a extremely powerful sport towards a prime, prime facet, the best way the workforce carried out, and every little thing that occurred in that sport, actually damage this soccer membership. I’m not speaking about one or two individuals, or simply the gamers – us, the soccer membership, the best way that issues occurred that Saturday morning.
“It’s what it’s – now it’s one other alternative for us to get pleasure from, to embrace a giant problem with our followers to play a derby like a derby must be performed. Easy as that. It’s a brand new sport, a brand new story. I don’t need anybody to consider the previous, we’ve got to search for the long run, and what’s going to be most essential is the following one. It’s a particular sport.”
-Marco Silva; supply:
Let it goo, let it goooooo…
Chelsea workforce information: Robert Sánchez and Wesley Fofana had been each late scratches over the weekend, with harm and sickness, respectively, however they’re each again in coaching and in competition to start out. Similar goes for Marc Cucurella, who’s barely ever injured, however has missed the final couple video games with a hamstring concern. We additionally welcome again Moisés Caicedo from his newest suspension.
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Levi Colwill, Dário Essugo, and Roméo Lavia stay out. The membership just lately wished Mykhailo Mudryk a contented birthday on social media, so we should always most likely point out the suspended winger right here as properly. How’s the appeals course of going, Misha?
McFarlane will likely be hoping handy over the reigns to Rosenior with the workforce again on the appropriate path.
“[This is a] actually gifted group, younger, hungry, have proven they will play on the prime prime stage towards prime prime sides. Anybody related to the membership must be pleased with their efficiency on Sunday and shifting ahead, this workforce has large, large potential so we should always all be excited.”
-Calum McFarlane; supply:
Beforehand: Final season, we went to Craven Cottage on a low and got here again on an absolute excessive. Tyrique George’s late equalizer and Pedro Neto’s even-later winner galvanized the workforce right into a scorching scorching run of kind and outcomes, culminating in not solely a top-four end however successful the FIFA Membership World Cup later that summer season.