English Premier
2012-11-28 - Chelsea vs Fulham
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Wednesday 28 November 2012 - Kick Off 7:45pm
Chelsea
Was anyone that surprised by the reaction that Rafa Benitez was given by the Chelsea fans in his first game in charge of the club? You shouldn't be as history will tell you exactly how Benitez used to rile Chelsea supporters in his time at Liverpool, and the fans have responded by saying they will continue tormenting the Spanish manager.
However, they don't want to be a detriment to the Chelsea team which is still very much in the mix when it comes to the Premier League title. The draw with Manchester City at the weekend means Chelsea are now 4th in the Premier League and they are 5 points behind leaders Manchester United. They have a 4-2-1 record at Stamford Bridge this season, scoring 14 goals and conceding 7.
Chelsea have now failed to win any of their last 4 games in all competitions and have recorded just 1 win in their last 9 games overall. That has seen them drop off the pace in the Premier League and also come to the brink of a Champions League exit at the Group stage. They have won just 1 of their last 5 home games in all competitions.
Frank Lampard, Daniel Sturridge and John Terry are all ruled out, but Gary Cahill is available for selection after recovering from an illness that kept him out on Sunday.
Fulham
Martin Jol has had the most success in the same amount of time than any of his predecessors, although he is hoping to get Fulham playing with some consistency on their travels. They have a few injury concerns that may not be helping and they did look flat in a 1-0 loss at Stoke City at the weekend.
Fulham are 10th in the Premier League table with 16 points earned so far this season, but their recent form has been a little disappointing. The side have a 1-3-3 away record in the League this season, scoring 12 goals and conceding 16 in those games.
Since beating Aston Villa 1-0 at Craven Cottage, Fulham have failed to win any of their last 5 games and they have also lost back to back League games against Sunderland and Stoke. Fulham have failed to win any of their last 4 away games, but they had drawn 3 in a row before the loss at the Brittania Stadium.
Brede Hangeland remains suspended, while Alex Kacaniklic, Bryan Ruiz, Kieran Richardson and Simon Davies are all injured and will miss the game.
Head to Head
Chelsea and Fulham drew twice at Stamford Bridge last season in the League Cup and the Premier League.
Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 15 games at home against Fulham, although they have won 8 of those games.
Prediction
I am not sure what is going to happen to Chelsea as we have seen poisonous atmospheres make life very difficult for Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa over the last 18 months, particularly when they are playing at home.
That could make this a tense match, as has been the norm for this West London derby, and I can honestly see only a single goal separating the sides.
Chelsea just need a win and Rafa Benitez is not exactly the kind of manager that will be demanding his side go for three or four goals, but would much rather secure a narrow win.
The important thing for Chelsea is that they somehow win this game and that tension means it is tough to know exactly how they will react. However, I think the home side will be a little too strong when it is said and done and so backing Chelsea to win this game by the narrowest of margins looks to be the call.
The Statistics :
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Pick :
Chelsea 1-0 Fulham
