"Where do I even start with this one?" - Chris Sutton makes prediction for Chelsea vs Fulham
BBC pundit Chris Sutton has backed Chelsea to secure a 2-1 win against Fulham in their Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, January 13.
Following a slow start to the season, Chelsea have shown improvement in recent weeks, recording three straight victories before losing to Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup on Tuesday. While he said that the Blues' performances this season have been nothing to write home about, Sutton believes they will have enough to edge past the Cottagers in the London derby.
"Again, where do I even start with this one?" the Englishman wrote in his column for the BBC. "Chelsea had won three games in a row in all competitions and were showing a bit of consistency before they lost to Middlesbrough in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday."
"They have got 34 goals already this time and their points-per-game is up from 1.15 to 1.4 but it's still not exactly anything to shout about. They have been average all season and I was expecting a lot more from the money they have spent."
The former Premier League star doesn't think Marco Silva's men are capable of staging an upset at Stamford Bridge, given their underwhelming away form this season. Fulham suffered a 2-1 defeat against Liverpool in the first-leg of their EFL Cup semifinal and Sutton believes their result against the Blues will depend on how they react to that setback. He said:
"I've backed them [Chelsea], and been wrong, many times already this season so do I make the same mistake again?"
"It doesn't help me much that there's not too many reasons to go with Fulham here, either. Their last league game was their excellent home win over Arsenal, but their form away from Craven Cottage is poor."
"What we see from them at Stamford Bridge might depend on how jaded they are from their Carabao Cup semi-final defeat at Liverpool on Wednesday and, against my better judgement, I am going for a Chelsea victory," he added.
Sutton's prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Fulham
The last time Chelsea and Fulham met in the Premier League was in October 2023. Mauricio Pochettino's men won the game 2-0, thanks to goals from Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja.
How have Chelsea fared so far this season?
The Blues occupy the 10th position in the Premier League standings with 28 points from 20 games, having recorded eight victories, four draws, and eight defeats this season. Their season, so far, hasn't gone according to plan after the heavy outlay by Todd Boehly and Co. last summer.
Chelsea will have to make an almighty push in the second half of the season to secure a European spot or they could be set for their second consecutive year without European competition.
Mauricio Pochettino's men have progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup after beating Preston North End in the third round. They're also still active in the EFL Cup but will have to overcome a 1-0 deficit in the second-leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, January 23.