Chelsea will hope to resurrect their faltering quest to qualify for the Champions League when they travel to play ninth-placed Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday in their 33rd Premier League game of the season.
The Cottagers lost 1-0 against Bournemouth on Monday, and their tally of 48 points is six fewer than Chelsea, who are in sixth place following their disappointing 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town last Sunday.
Match preview
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Fulham's defeat against Bournemouth came about due to Antoine Semenyo's first-minute winner, and they have conceded first in their past four games.
Boss Marco Silva will be frustrated by his side's Premier League form, with the hosts alternating between defeats and victories in their last seven top-flight fixtures, dropping 12 points in that period.
The Cottagers still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe given they are six points from Aston Villa, who are in seventh place, and that spot will likely be enough to participate in the Conference League at minimum but may be enough for Europa League football.
If Fulham are to make a late charge for the European spots, they will have to improve considerably at the back considering they have conceded eight in their four most recent outings, failing to score twice in that time.
Silva's side have also alternated between wins and losses in their past seven home games, though they came out on top against teams such as Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur in those matches.
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Chelsea had to rescue a point against relegation candidates Ipswich after heading into the half-time interval 2-0 down, and it should be noted that their 34 shots on the day was roughly double their per 90 average this season (16.4).
The Blues were also beaten 2-1 by Legia Warsaw on Thursday in the second leg of their Conference League quarter-final tie, but they advanced into the semi-finals thanks to their 3-0 victory in the first leg on April 10.
Manager Enzo Maresca has faced significant scrutiny in the second half of the season, though his side are currently only one point from fifth-placed Manchester City, who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot.
However, Chelsea have failed to win three of their four most recent Premier League fixtures, drawing twice while scoring just three times.
Maresca also suffered a 2-1 defeat when he last faced Silva in the top flight on December 26, but that was the club's only loss against Fulham in their past five meetings, with the Blues winning on three occasions.
Chelsea are winless away from home in the league since December 8, a period in which they lost five, drew three and failed to find the back of the net in five matches.
Team News
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Fulham come into the clash with a relatively small list of absentees, with wingers Harry Wilson and Reiss Nelson their only concerns, though Wilson could return at the end of the month.
Raul Jimenez may be trusted to lead the Cottagers' forward line ahead of a supporting cast consisting of Alex Iwobi, Andreas Pereira and Ryan Sessegnon.
Sasa Lukic and Sander Berge are certain to appear at the base of midfield, and they could start in front of centre-backs Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey.
As for Chelsea, central defender Wesley Fofana and goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina are the Blues' only injury absentees who may have had an impact on Maresca's selection plans.
Centre-backs Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah played no part in Thursday's clash against Legia Warsaw, and they can be expected to protect goalkeeper Robert Sanchez on Sunday.
Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez are likely to be stationed in midfield, while Cole Palmer will play in an attacking role behind striker Nicolas Jackson.
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Berge; Iwobi, Pereira, Sessegnon; Jimenez
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Jackson
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We say: Fulham 2-1 Chelsea
Chelsea's struggles in the Premier League away from home are concerning, and they could find it difficult to create chances in the final third on Sunday.
Although Fulham have proven to be inconsistent, they have managed to secure positive results against some of the division's best, and they may close the gap to Chelsea by beating them at Craven Cottage.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
