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Chelsea will travel to Craven Cottage to face derby rivals Fulham on Saturday. Jose Mourinho will be looking for nothing less than the full three points after a midweek draw with Galatasaray. The two sides find themselves at polar opposite ends of the table, with the Blues leading the chase for Premier League glory.
A 1-1 score line in Turkey has set the Blues up nicely for Champions League progression, but domestic matters will take prominence for at least the next three weeks.With Manchester City playing in the Carling Cup final and Arsenal facing a tough trip to Stoke, the away side will be eyeing up a chance to extend their lead at the table’s summit.
Jose Mourinho may be tempted to shuffle his pack in order to overcome fatigue in the coming month, with Fulham providing one of the club’s easier matches. With this in mind, here is the starting line-up the Portuguese coach should opt for:
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech
Petr Cech is yet to miss a Premier League match for the Blues this season. He is Mourinho’s default choice in goal. The Czech keeper has recorded an impressive 12 clean sheets – the joint highest total in the division. At 31 years of age he still has plenty to offer at Stamford Bridge and his experience will be key as the club fight for a third Premier League trophy.
Right-back: Branislav Ivanovic
Ivanovic offers a fantastic presence for Chelsea whenever he is deployed at right back. He is a force for the Blues in both halves of the pitch, taking his chances in attack whilst completing his defensive duties whenever called upon. His ability to impact games from a full-back position is outstanding.
He has scored three goals for the Blues this season, including an important winner against Manchester City, whilst at the back he has won 56% of his tackles and 71% of his headed duels.
Centre-back: John Terry
Terry is a born-leader and a club hero in west London. At 33 years of age he continues to perform at the highest level and, arguably, he is still Chelsea’s strongest option in defence. He remains capable in the tackle (57% success rate) and strong in the air (64% success rate), whilst his experience gives him a huge advantage over almost every other centre-back in the league.
Centre-back: Gary Cahill
Gary Cahill is yet to miss a Premier League fixture in 2014, and he should be in line for a start alongside John Terry. The Englishman has been a standout performer for Chelsea this season, and he has formed a fantastic central defensive partnership with his club captain.
He has been a rock at the back, averaging 10 defensive actions per match – more than any other Blue – whilst winning 58% of his tackles and 72% of his headed duels.
Left-back: Cesar Azpilicueta
A call-up to the Spanish national squad is testament to Azpilicueta’s form in recent weeks. The left back has forced Ashley Cole out of the Chelsea starting line-up, establishing himself as the first choice option in this role. He has won 49 tackles this season and completed 79% of his passes.
While he is not as adventurous as Ivanovic going forward, he still offers Chelsea a valuable asset in the final third.
Defensive-midfield: Nemanja Matic
Nemanja Matic has been a revelation since his return to Stamford Bridge. The Serbian didn’t make the trip to Turkey as he was ineligible to play in Europe, having already featured for Benfica in the group stages. He is an extremely agile player, despite his physique, and his skill set makes him an important asset for Chelsea.
He offers much needed protection in front of the back four and adds a sense of balance to Mourinho’s attacking side. He has made six appearances since his January move, averaging seven defensive actions per match.
Defensive-midfield: Ramires
Ramires should start if he is passed fit, having received a blow to his nose on Wednesday. He completed the 90 minutes against Galatasaray so he should be okay to play against Fulham. The Brazilian patrols the midfield for Chelsea, winning the ball in front of the defence before moving forward to assist in attack.
Against a potential Fulham midfield of Scott Parker, Lewis Holtby and Steve Sidwell, his work rate will prove vital.
Attacking-Left: Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard has set the Premier League alight this season, making a huge contribution to Chelsea’s title bid with a number of outstanding performances. He is the club’s leading scorer with 12 goals – more than Samuel Eto’o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba combined – and he has also played more key passes than any other player (70).
He will cause Fulham huge problems with his dribbling ability and change of pace. Already this season he has completed 100 take ons – the highest total in the English top flight.
Attacking-midfield: Oscar
Oscar made a late appearance in midweek, signalling his recovery from a minor ankle injury. He is likely to replace Andre Schurrle in the starting line-up for this encounter. The 22-year-old’s form in the early part of the season was so impressive Chelsea decided to sell fellow playmaker Juan Mata to Manchester United, but he has struggled in recent weeks.
Mourinho insists the youngster has been producing solid displays, but concedes that the player has lost some of his sparkle on the top flight’s heavy pitches.
Oscar will be looking to impress against Fulham, and to add to his Squawka Performance Score of 315 points.
Attacking-Right: Willian
Although Willian had a unimpressive first half of the season, the Brazilian has been excellent in the second half of the campaign. The Brazilian has created 39 goal scoring chances and this will be his main asset for the Blues against Fulham.
Striker: Fernando Torres
Making his first start since early January, Fernando Torres gave an impressive performance against Galatasaray on Wednesday. The Spaniard scored the opening goal of the match, giving Chelsea a valuable away goal going into the tie’s second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Whilst he has not shown the best of form this season, scoring just four times in 19 appearances, struggling Fulham could provide him with the perfect opportunity to prove his worth to Jose Mourinho, especially in light of the manager’s recent comments in which he suggested that he has “no strikers” at the club.
