Fulham and Chelsea have drawn on each of the last five times they have met and the Blues could struggle to justify odds on prices tonight at Craven Cottage.
The heat has very much been turned up in the race for a Champions League place and Chelsea know victory at their near neighbours on Wednesday would see them move back up into third.
Rafa Benitez’s side now have two games in hand on Arsenal, the side immediately above them in the Premier League table, but they have looked a tired team in recent weeks and will need to have recovered mentally and physically from their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City on Sunday.
That 2-1 loss at Wembley to the Premier League champions means Chelsea now only have Europa League silverware to aim for but what they really want is a place back in the top four come the season’s end.
It wont be easy for the defending Champions League winners, they still have matches against Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Everton to come, and while Benitez could really do with three points on the banks of the River Thames, I’m not sure he’ll get them.
This fixture has produced a total of just four goals in five consecutive low-scoring draws, somewhat surprisingly, but Fulham can hurt Chelsea going forward and I was really impressed with Martin Jol’s side when they won at Tottenham a month ago.
Dimitar Berbatov got the winner that day, against his former club, and Fulham have won three of their last four matches at home, too.
The exception was a narrow 1-0 loss to Manchester United and Fulham host a Chelsea team that have been nothing short of woeful on the road of late.
It is five losses in eight matches away from Stamford Bridge in all competitions, winning just two of their last 11 going further back, and there are enough reasons to take on the visitors who will once again be without Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill.
3pts Lay Chelsea (vs. Fulham) @ 1.80 (Betfair)