West London Derby Showdown: Fulham and Chelsea Battle for Bragging Rights - Team News and Bold Predictions
Chelsea's recent confirmation of their new permanent manager has been the main talking point leading up to the match, but focus must shift back to on-field action as the Blues travel to face local adversaries Fulham.
Liam Rosenior was confirmed as Enzo Maresca's permanent replacement on Tuesday, though Calum McFarlane, the club's Under-21s coach, will guide Chelsea at Craven Cottage. The caretaker manager secured a notable 1–1 result against Manchester City last weekend with Enzo Fernández netting a crucial late goal.
This outcome allowed Chelsea to maintain their position alongside Liverpool and Manchester United in the Champions League qualification battle–both teams also dropped points with frustrating draws—and a win against Fulham would see the Blues leapfrog Liverpool into fourth place before the Reds face Arsenal on Thursday.
Chelsea have managed only two Premier League victories since the November international window, though, and face a stern examination from the resurgent Cottagers. Fulham's weekend stalemate with Liverpool maintained their five-game unbeaten streak in the league and kept them within three points of their approaching opponents.
Here's Sports Illustrated's analysis of the west London clash.
What Time Does Fulham vs. Chelsea Kick Off?
Fulham vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Fulham | Chelsea |
|---|---|
Fulham 2–2 Liverpool - 04/01/26 | Man City 1–1 Chelsea - 04/01/26 |
Crystal Palace 1–1 Fulham - 01/01/26 | Chelsea 2–2 Bournemouth - 30/12/25 |
West Ham 0–1 Fulham - 27/12/25 | Chelsea 1–2 Aston Villa - 27/12/25 |
Fulham 1–0 Nottingham Forest - 22/12/25 | Newcastle 2–2 Chelsea - 20/12/25 |
Newcastle 2–1 Fulham - 17/12/25 | Cardiff 1–3 Chelsea - 16/12/25 |
How to Watch Fulham vs. Chelsea on TV, Live Stream
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Sky Sports Football, Sky Ultra HD, Sky GO, Sky GO Extra |
United States | Peacock |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada |
Mexico | FOX One |
Fulham Team News
Nigeria's advancement to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals ensures Fulham trio Calvin Bassey, Samuel Chukwueze and Alex Iwobi remain unavailable. These international players join the injury list alongside Josh King, Kenny Tete, Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Muniz.
Fulham deployed a three-man defensive setup against Liverpool and it proved effective in containing the defending champions, with Marco Silva potentially employing the same tactical approach versus Chelsea.
Fulham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Fulham predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Leno; Diop, Andersen, Cuenca; Castagne, Lukić, Cairney, Robinson; Wilson, Smith Rowe; Jiménez.
Chelsea Team News
Chelsea have been missing Marc Cucurella for their last two fixtures and will be eager to have the Spanish defender available at left-back. Wesley Fofana was absent from the Man City encounter due to illness, while Robert Sánchez had a minor muscle problem—both may feature here.
Levi Colwill, Dário Essugo and Roméo Lavia are long-term casualties in the Chelsea roster, with Mykhailo Mudryk still absent following a doping matter.
Filip Jörgensen will deputize for Sánchez if the Spaniard remains unavailable on Wednesday, while Malo Gusto and Benoît Badiashile are expected to cover for Cucurella and Fofana respectively if they remain sidelined.
On a positive note, Moisés Caicedo is back from his one-game ban.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Fulham
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Fulham (4-2-3-1): Jörgensen; James, Chalobah, Badiashile, Gusto; Caicedo, Fernández; Estêvão, Palmer, Neto; Pedro.
Fulham vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
Chelsea demonstrated character in challenging circumstances at the Etihad Stadium but will be anticipated to provide greater attacking flair at Fulham. With Rosenior now confirmed, players will be motivated to deliver a commanding performance at Craven Cottage.
Nevertheless, Chelsea have been in underwhelming form and will face a stern challenge from a Fulham team full of belief—despite missing several important players. The performances of Harry Wilson and Raúl Jiménez are hard to overlook and the Cottagers will believe they can claim points from this local rivalry.