Premier League: A Happy Marco Silva and a Stunned Pochettino

Chelsea vs Fulham

Chelsea and Fulham aim to continue their strong finish in the 2023 calendar year with strong outings in their Premier League Matchday 21 tie. The second half of the season has always been the most exhilarating part of the English top flight, as teams from top to bottom of the standings push their narratives and live out their redemption arcs, European football qualifications, and their bid for Premier League glory.

The Blues’ hefty summer spree hasn’t materialized into any considerable feats, and their recent fumble against Middlesbrough might put Pochettino’s job in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Marco Silva has his head over his shoulders during the winter transfer window. Patience and consistency seem to be the main branding Fulham will embrace all throughout the second half of the season.

Talking Points

Marco Silva contented with squad, will have a quiet January instead

The Cottagers are reported to have little to no transactions during the January transfer window, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s a bad thing.

Fulham boss Marco Silva expressed his contentment with his current squad, and it’s hard to think otherwise, especially after their stunning victory against Arteta’s Arsenal before the new year.

“I am happy with squad I have, we made some changes last summer but lost a player that was really important to us,” Silva exclaimed.

The Cottagers sold Serbian forward Aleksandar Mitrovic in the summer for £50 million, and they have yet to get a signing to replace the Serb who scored 14 goals for the club last season.

It seems like Silva and Fulham are still looking for the perfect fit to replace Mitrovic and are in no rush to acquire the signature of another striker at the moment. Patience is a virtue, and Silva is a good attestation to this proverb.

“It makes sense if in the market, if you don’t have the capacity to improve the squad or sign someone who can have an impact on the squad it is sometimes better to not do it.” Marco Silva wisely stated.

Fulham will face a striving Chelsea for their first top-flight tie in the 2024 calendar year, so it will be interesting to see if the Cottagers’ patience pays off.

Already a swing of emotions at Stamford Bridge this year

Poch’s outfit finished 2023 strong, bagging two consecutive wins against Crystal Palace and Luton Town. They were poised to start 2024 on a high note, and to their credit, they did. They trampled a lowly Preston side 4-0 in the FA Cup, where Broja, Silva, Sterling, and Fernandez all scored a goal apiece in front of their fans at Stamford Bridge to advance to the 4th round of the tournament.

Chelsea’s convincing start to the year quickly took an unfortunate turn. They got humbled by Middlesbrough with a 1-0 clean sheet loss in the first leg of their semi-final clash in the EFL Cup yesterday.

And with their generous spending spree over the summer, Chelsea’s movement in the winter transfer window is still up in the air at this point.

With their first Premier League bout in sight, there’s no telling what the Blues will look like when they grace the pitch, especially against a tough Fulham outfit. But the Blues have been nothing but formidable at Stamford Bridge when playing Fulham, staying unbeaten in their last 18 home league games against Marco Silva’s side.

The Blues have had a convincing run in the Premier League in the last few weeks of 2023, and it would be premature to count them out after a setback against Middlesbrough yesterday.

History

These Premier League staples have played 36 matches across multiple competitions since 2001. In those matches, Chelsea have won the majority of their clashes, being victorious 22 times. The Cottagers, on the other hand, have only won twice but were able to tally a draw 12 times.

The last time these clubs faced each other in the Premier League, Chelsea scored two first-half goals and kept Fulham in check all throughout. The match ended with a 0-2 loss for Fulham at Craven Cottage.

They’ve kept their recent head-to-heads competitive, scoring a total of just 10 goals in their last six meetings, which is why my betting tip below is what it is.

In recent form, the Blues have won three of their last five top-flight matches and are currently on a two-game winning streak. They started their year with a bang, crushing the helpless Preston 4-0 in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. Their upcoming clash against Fulham will be their first Premier League tie this year, and the Blues are keen on starting the second half of the season with strong Premier League 2024 results.

Meanwhile, the Cottagers finally broke their losing streak with a 2-1 win against Arteta’s boys. Finishing the calendar year strong and ending their losing streak was the best gift they could give to SBOTOP football fans, and Marco Silva’s outfit is poised to start 2024 on a strong note as well.

Betting Tip

The offences for both sides have gone a little tepid in recent weeks, where Chelsea have only managed to score more than two goals against teams less formidable than the Cottagers. Meanwhile, Fulham went on a rapid decline after posting back-to-back 5-0 wins against Nottingham Forest and West Ham in early December. Which is why my betting tip is total goals under 2.75 at 2.09.

Total goals under 3.00 at 1.82 is also another great option when considering this match, as 1.82 holds enough value to keep punters interested and excited.

The Premier League 2024 betting odds have Chelsea as the heavy favourites at 1.57, while Fulham are the underdogs at 4.73 to win and 3.94 to tally a draw. Going for the Blues at 1.57 might be the obvious choice, but no one should dismiss the capabilities of the Cottagers, especially against a middle-of-the-pack team like Chelsea.

 

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