PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: FULHAM V CHELSEA

Posted on: Sat 27 Dec 2008

It's the final game of 2008. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton look back and forward.

TALKING POINTS
For once our traditional sense of superiority over Fulham could be misplaced; it's not like we're popping round the neighbours during the holiday period and they will be loading us up with presents.

This will be no easy game. In fact, since it is the season's best travellers - Chelsea - up against the Premier's best home side: the Cottagers have won twice as many games by the Thames as we have on the Fulham Road. They have conceded the same number - six - as Chelsea, and scored three fewer than the Blues' 17.

KEY STAT Chelsea are looking to beat our club record of 19 away league games unbeaten, originally set between October 2004 and November 2005 and equalled at Everton last Monday.

Curiously, the only team to have burgled the Cottagers successfully is West Ham, 2-1 winners in late September, although Fulham's chances of a comeback were hampered by the early dismissal of Andy Johnson.

Chelsea's Boxing Day victory over West Brom was welcome for many more things than simply the relative comfort with which it was achieved without JT and other vital figures. It was the first time we have bagged all three points on the Fulham Road since the start of November against Sunderland, which was, coincidentally, when Frank Lampard last hit the net for Chelsea.

Didier Drogba's header against the Baggies was his first in the league since the 4-4 game at White Hart Lane back in March. His goal in that match was scored after just three minutes, the same as against Albion. It was our fastest start since the 4-0 win at Hull when Lamps opened the scoring in a 4-0 rout.

Frank had talked on Chelsea TV about the importance of being sharper out of the traps, and hopefully Didier has shown the way forward. Perhaps most importantly, the Ivorian looked back to his match-changing best with a number of nice turns and weaving runs past defenders.

Fulham served up a fourth consecutive 0-0 draw for their travelling fans at Spurs on Boxing Day. Hopefully this match will be a feast and not a turkey.

2008 - the Year in Stats
With the game at Fulham to come, Chelsea's 2008 record is: played 59, won 37, drawn 16, lost 6, scored 107, conceded 36 and kept 32 clean sheets.

Our scorers in those 59 games were: Lampard 20 (5 pens), Anelka 18, Drogba 9, Kalou 9, Ballack 8 (2 pens), J Cole 8, Malouda 5, Belletti 3, Deco 3, Essien 3, Terry 3, Wright-Phillips 3, Bosingwa 2, Carvalho 2, Alex 1, A Cole 1, Pizarro 1, Shevchenko 1, own goals 7 (Camp - QPR, Lescott - Everton, Deivid - Fenerbahce, Dunne - Man City, Riise - Liverpool CL, Wheater, Middlesbrough, Djourou - Arsenal).

Clean sheets Cech 24, Cudicini 7, Hilário 1.

Our record in 2007 was played 63, won 39, drawn 19, lost 5, scored 113, conceded 41 and kept 34 clean sheets.

Also this weekend, Newcastle, undefeated at home in the Joe Kinnear era, host Liverpool. The same day, Sunday, Arsenal are at home to a Pompey side lacking confidence. On Monday Setanta continue their Manchester Utd love-in by covering what should, on current form, be a prosaic victory over Middlesbrough. However, since 2003/4 - last season apart - Boro have done extremely well at Old Trafford. The following evening Villa visit a Hull side demoralise by their Boxing Day bashing at Eastlands.

Barclays Premier League fixtures
Sunday
Newcastle v Liverpool 12pm - Sky Sports
Arsenal v Portsmouth 2pm
Bolton v Wigan 2pm
Everton v Sunderland 2pm
Fulham v Chelsea 2pm
WBA v Tottenham 2pm
West Ham v Stoke 2pm
Blackburn v Man City 4.15pm - Sky Sports
Monday
Man Utd v Middlesbrough 8pm - Setanta
Tuesday
Hull v Aston Villa 8pm - Sky Sports

Premier League top scorers
Anelka (Chelsea) 14
Robinho (Man City) 10
Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) 9
Zaki (Wigan) 9
Cissé (Sunderland) 8
Crouch (Portsmouth) 8
Ronaldo (Man Utd) 8
Van Persie (Arsenal) 8

Barclays Premier League table

Top		P	GD	PTS
1	Liverpool	19	18	42
2	Chelsea	19	31	41
3	Man Utd	17	18	35
4	Aston Villa	19	10	35
5	Arsenal	19	9	32
6	Everton	19	-1	29
7	Hull	19	-8	27
8	Fulham	18	4	25

TACTICAL BRIEF
Roy Hodgson sets his team out in a 4-4-2 formation with Andrew Johnson and Clint Dempsey the frontmen. Bobby Zamora is a hard-working alternative selection.

The manager has a small but athletic midfield, and he likes his team to play a well-organised passing game that is effective but sometimes lacks imagination. He also puts fairness top of the agenda and publicly chastised his own right-back, Ghana international John Paintsil, for diving during one of his regular attacking forays.

Paul Konchesky, the left-back, likes to get forward too, especially at home. Their occasional tardiness in returning to defensive duties is something Chelsea's wide players will look to exploit. Against West Brom Chelsea started with more bodies further up the pitch and interchanging positions more than in recent matches. It provided early openings behind their back line for Ashley Cole and José Bosingwa which should probably have led to more clear-cut goalscoring opportunties.

Star performers for the Whites this season have been dominant Norway centre-back Breda Hangeland, who initially struggled to adapt following his arrival a year ago from Scandinavian football, and centre-midfielder Danny Murphy, who as skipper has begun to wield a considerable influence in games.

Jimmy Bullard, currently the subject of contract speculation, is another important figure for Hodgson's team. He takes free kicks and corners and his hard-running, unpredictable style creates openings for teammates.

Bullard will view John Terry's suspension as a chance to find some of the taller men among his teammates.

WE HAVE HISTORY
The opposition and the time of year immediately bring to mind the memorable match at the Bridge on December 27 1976, when 55,003 saw the visitors - featuring George Best and Bobby Moore, but with Rodney Marsh ruled out through injury - succumb to the bright, bustling style of Eddie McCreadie's fledgling Blues. Kenny Swain and Mickey Droy scored Chelsea's goals, but Garry Stanley and Ray Wilkins were the day's stand out performers.

Wayne Bridge is returning to Craven Cottage where he played 12 games on loan in 2005/06.

The Blues are looking for a third successive victory at Craven Cottage since our last defeat there in March 2006 when Luis Boa Morte scored the only goal. A Michael Ballack penalty earned the points here last season after Danny Murphy had opened the scoring with a spot-kick of his own.

Although Fulham is the oldest London team in the Barclays Premier League, they were originally in the Southern League, and this is only the 19th season that Chelsea and Fulham have been in the top flight together. We have also played together in 11 seasons in the old Second Division.

Our 0-1 defeat at Craven Cottage in March 2006 is the only reverse we have suffered there in 12 games since our neighbours including George Best and Bobby Moore defeated us 1-3 in April 1977.

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING MATCH
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
Premier League, Tuesday January 1, 2008, Craven Cottage.
Referee Mark Halsey
Crowd 25,357

Fulham Manager Roy Hodgson Niemi Omozusi Bocanegra Stefanovic (c) Konchesky Volz Murphy Davis Davies Dempsey Kamara Substitutes Seol for Volz (67), Smertin for Davis (69), Healy for Kamara (76) Booked Stefanovic Scorer Murphy 9 pen J Cole Kalou Wright-Phillips Ballack (c) Essien Sidwell Bridge Ben-Haim Alex Belletti Hilário Manager Avram Grant Chelsea Substitutes Mikel for Sidwell (h/t), Pizarro for Wright-Phillips (87), Ferreira for J Cole (90) Booked None Scorers Kalou 53, Ballack 61 pen

Other match last season
29 September 2007 Barclays Premier League
Chelsea..........0 Fulham..........0
Att: 41,837

Our away Premier League record against Fulham is as follows:
2001/02 Drew 1-1
2002/03 Drew 0-0
2003/04 Chelsea won 1-0
2004/05 Chelsea won 4-1
2005/06 Fulham won 1-0
2006/07 Chelsea won 2-0
2007/08 Chelsea won 2-1

Fulham v Chelsea in all competitions
Games played 67
Chelsea wins 38
Fulham wins 9
Draws 20

Head to head in the league at Craven Cottage and Loftus Road
Games played 29
Chelsea wins 18
Fulham wins 5
Draws 6

Biggest league win at Fulham for each team
18/04/1977 Fulham 3-1 Chelsea
13/11/2004 Fulham 1-4 Chelsea

CHELSEA STATS
The Blues have two wins and two draws in the Premier League since our defeat against Arsenal.

We are looking to extend our club record as well as the top-flight record of seven consecutive away league clean sheets.

Chelsea are on the longest run in the top flight of 19 unbeaten away games. We have dropped six points out of 57 points available since the 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on December 16th 2007.

Chelsea's last six games

Nov 30	Arsenal H	L 1-2
Dec 6	Bolton A	W 2-0
Dec 9	CFR Cluj H	W 2-1 Champions League
Dec 14	West Ham H	D 1-1
Dec 22	Everton A	D 0-0
Dec 26	WBA H	W 2-0

2008/09 Premier League scorers
Anelka 14, Lampard 6 (1 pen), Deco 3, Belletti 2, Bosingwa 2, J Cole 2, Kalou 2, Malouda 2, Alex 1, Carvalho 1, Drogba 1, own goals 2 (Wheater, Middlesbrough, Djourou, Arsenal). Total 38.

MILESTONES
Nicolas Anelka is due to make his 50th appearance in all competitions for the club and Michael Ballack his 50th Premier League start.

FULHAM STATS
Fulham have won as many points at Craven Cottage as they did the whole of last season. Their home record is won six (Arsenal 1-0, Bolton 2-1, Wigan 2-0, Newcastle 2-1, Tottenham 2-1, Middlesbrough 3-0), drew two (Sunderland 0-0, Man City 1-1) and lost one (West Ham 1-2).

They have the second best home record in the Premier League (20 points) and are unbeaten in eight since losing at Everton on 1st November and have lost one in 12.

Fulham have won four and drawn one of last five at Craven Cottage.

Fulham's managers this decade
Paul Bracewell May 1999 to Mar 2000
Karlheinz Riedle Mar 2000 to Jul 2000
Jean Tigana Jul 2000 to Apr 2003
Chris Coleman Apr 2003 to Apr 2007
Lawrie Sanchez Apr 2007 to Dec 2007
Roy Hodgson Dec 2007 to date

Twelve years ago at the end of the 1995/96 season Fulham were 17th in the Third Division (fourth tier) and in the next five seasons won three promotions including being champions of the Second and First Divisions. The Cottagers have never won a major trophy.

FULHAM IN THE PREM

	Pts	Pos
2001/02	44	13th
2002/03	48	14th
2003/04	52	9th
2004/05	44	13th
2005/06	48	12th
2006/07	39	16th
2007/08	36	17th

MOST RECENT PREMIER LEAGUE LINE-UP
Dec 26, 2008 Tottenham (away) Drew 0-0

Schwarzer Paintsil Hughes Baird Konchesky Dempsey Murphy (c) Bullard Davies Johnson Zamora Substitutes Etuhu for Bullard (37), Nevland for Davies (90)

Fulham's last six games

Nov 22	Liverpool A	D 0-0
Nov 29	Aston Villa A	D 0-0
Dec 6	Man City H	D 1-1
Dec 13	Stoke A	D 0-0
Dec 20	Middlesbrough H	W 3-0
Dec 26	Tottenham A	D 0-0

2008/09 Premier League scorers
Johnson 4, Murphy 3 (3 pens), Bullard 2, Dempsey 2, Davies 1, Gera 1, Hangeland 1, Seol 1, Zamora 1. Total 16.

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
The referee is Andre Marriner. He officiated our 4-0 win at Hull in October.

OTHERWISE ENGAGED
John Terry is suspended for the second of three games following his red card at Goodison Park last Monday. He will also miss the game on Saturday against Southend in the FA Cup. Fulham have no-one suspended.

Paul Canoville's book Black and Blue, written in conjunction with Rick Glanvill, has been shortlisted for the British Sports Book Awards 2009.

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