Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images
Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images
Chelsea kick off their Premier League campaign with a trip to Fulham on Monday night.
The Blues lost this fixture last season, but there is a lot of optimism going into the game following the arrival of Xabi Alonso.
Fans are also happy with the club’s transfer business. This summer, Chelsea have signed the likes of Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix to strengthen their squad.
Sander Berge on Chelsea team
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Opta supercomputer still backing Chelsea to beat Fulham
Opta’s supercomputer fancies Chelsea’s chances of beating Fulham at Craven Cottage.
There have been some real surprises in the Premier League’s opening weekend, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur both losing to Hull City and Brentford respectively.
However, Opta’s supercomputer is not expecting any nasty shocks for Chelsea, giving them a 50.1% chance of claiming all three points against their west London rivals.
Liam Delap of Chelsea celebrates
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
In contrast, Fulham have only been handed a win probability of 26.7%. Alonso’s side cannot get complacent, though, especially after losing at Craven Cottage last term.
Fulham midfielder Sander Berge thinks Chelsea have “world-class” players, but the Norway international is ready for the challenge that lies ahead.
Our prediction for Fulham vs Chelsea
We are going for a 2-1 Chelsea win! The Blues should have way too much firepower for the hosts.
Rogers, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro could form a really dangerous attack this season, although Arsenal legend and Chelsea fan Paul Merson has some concerns
Merson can envision a Rogers, Palmer and Pedro frontline, but he is worried about the trio potentially crowding the same area of the pitch.
Rogers and Palmer both like to play in central areas, while Pedro tends to drop deep and get involved in play rather than just stay in the box for the whole game.
Whatever the case, they will be the danger men for Chelsea. Fulham will need to stop them if they are to have any chance of winning the game and collecting all three points.