Our Premier League weekend gets off to an early start this week with Chelsea hosting Fulham on Friday. The West London derby isn’t necessarily a fierce rivalry, but it's one that will really matter on Friday with just two points separating the two clubs in the standings.
Following Chelsea’s abundance of spending in the transfer window, there’ll be a lot of eyes on their new signings. Don’t miss our Chelsea vs. Fulham picks and predictions for February 3.
Chelsea vs Fulham best odds
Chelsea vs Fulham picks and predictions
Chelsea have won five of the six previous meetings in the West London derby. However, when these two met last month, it was Fulham who left with the three points.
Despite this rematch taking place just 22 days later, a lot has changed since then, as Chelsea spent over £300 million in the January window.
Since the loss to Fulham, they’ve seen Benoit Badiashile play twice at the heart of the backline and Enzo Fernandez join the club after his deadline-day arrival from Benfica. Then there's Mykhailo Mudryk, who is the most exciting move of them all. The 22-year-old Ukrainian might have had his heart set on a move to Arsenal, but Chelsea fans have already fallen in love with him.
It's still early days for the signing from Shakhtar Donetsk, but in one cameo from the bench, it’s clear that he’s going to be a sensational signing for Chelsea. When Mudryk came on against Liverpool, he displayed everything you’d want in a wide player in 2023.
Mudryk was technically very good, incredibly direct, and had a blistering pace. He’s so quick that he clocked in as the fasted player in the Premier League in that game and that’s one of the reasons for our best bet for this game.
Mudryk looks set to become a player like Jack Grealish, as they are very similar in terms of the fear that they put into defenders. That’s why we are backing Fulham right back Kenny Tete to get booked on Friday.
Tete has had six yellows in 15 Premier League games and now faces the fastest player in the league. Mudryk will run at Tete all game and has the trickery to also cause massive issues.
At odds of +320 for Tete to get booked, you’re looking at a steal of a price. This is a matchup where Tete will need to be at his very best in order to not receive a card.
My best bet: Kenny Tete to get booked (+320 at Unibet)
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Chelsea vs Fulham side analysis
Chelsea have added a lot of talented new players to the roster, but they were inconsistent before the transfer window and are also still dealing with an ongoing injury crisis. I’m not sure I’d back Fulham either, so picking a side is one I’d recommend to stay away from.
Mudryk and Badiashile are the only new signings certain to start, with Enzo Fernandez unlikely to be starting the game having only arrived in the UK on Wednesday. Elsewhere, it’s unlikely we see Ben Chilwell or Reece James back on the team as they attempt to return from injury. Joao Felix’s current suspension means that Kai Havertz is likely to be starting up front with Mason Mount behind him.
Fulham will line up with talisman Alexsandr Mitrovic up front and he’ll relish the chance to play his team’s rivals here. The key to the game — as mentioned above — is the performance of Kenny Tete. The right back will need to be at his very best to limit Mudryk, who looked sensational against Liverpool.
The role of Joao Palhinha and Harrison Reed in the middle of the park is also very important, as the duo will be given the task of breaking up Chelsea’s play. If they do a good job of that, then Fulham have a fighting chance.
Chelsea vs Fulham Over/Under analysis
The total is currently even, with -110 available on both Over 2.5 and Under 2.5 goals. It’s tough to pick a side when you look at the form too.
Chelsea have gone Under 2.5 goals in 55.6% of their Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge this season, with every home game since mid-October seeing less than three goals.
If that’s making you lean towards the Under, it's important to note that Fulham have had Over 2.5 goals in 70% of their games on the road this season.
It was a three-goal game when these two teams met last month, but that match needed a red card for Chelsea to hit the Over. Additionally, two of the past three meetings have seen Under 2.5 goals.
Handicapping this market is a tough decision and one I’d recommend staying away from, as there’s better value to be had elsewhere.
Chelsea vs Fulham game info
| Location: | Stamford Bridge, West London, England |
| Date: | Friday, February 3, 2023 |
| Time: | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | USA Network |
Chelsea vs Fulham key injuries
Chelsea: Armando Broja STR (Out), Christian Pulisic FWR (Out), N’Golo Kante CM (Out), Raheem Sterling FWR (Out), Denis Zakaria CM (Out), Edouard Mendy GK (Out), Wesley Fofana CB (Out), Joao Felix STR (Out), Reece James RB (Questionable), Ben Chilwell LB (Questionable).
Fulham: Neeskens Kebano FWR (Out).
Chelsea vs Fulham recent form
| Teams | Last five matches |
|---|---|
 Chelsea |
D-W-L-L-D |
 Fulham |
L-L-W-W-W |
Chelsea vs Fulham weather
Temperatures are expected to be just under 50 degrees when this game kicks off in London.
