Fulham vs. Chelsea

Discussion in 'Fulham FC News and Notes' started by MicahMan, Jan 11, 2023.

  1. MicahMan

    MicahMan Administrator

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    Fulham closes out the first half of the season hosting Chelsea Thursday at 3pm EST on Peacock. Fulham's 9.5% lifetime win rate against Chelsea is the worst among matchups that have been played at least 50 times, but Chelsea is coming to Craven Cottage on the back of their worst form since 2012 while Fulham has won three in a row and has already equaled the point totals from their last two Premier League campaigns. So this time feels different. Getting at least a draw feels like reasonable minimum and getting a win seems like a distinct possibility.

    Of course, the one downside is that Fulham will have to do it without Mitrovic who is serving his yellow-card suspension. Fulham has been able to score without him, they've gotten one goal in each of the matches he has missed, but they haven't been able to get points without him with zero points from three Mitrovic-less matches. So this one will likely come down to Fulham's defense more than anything else. Fulham's win against Leicester was the first this season where Fulham got three points and only scored one goal. A similar performance will likely be needed to get a win against Chelsea.

    This will likely be a close match, but my gut tells me this will be a bit of a let-down for Fulham. I want to share the positive vibes that most Fulham fans are feeling, but I'm expecting an end to the win streak on Thursday and zero points from Chelsea.
     
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    Last edited: Jan 11, 2023
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  2. daddude7

    daddude7 Well-Known Member

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    I agree, it may be prudent to lower our expectations for tomorrow.
     
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  3. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

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    Love the video, but I'm looking forward to a major league ass kicking of the Blue Poo. If we can slap these turds around without Mitro, we might cause a whole lot of negative vibes in the Home of the Scum.

    I'll be missing this. Have a long-delayed massage. Hoping for a mellow and satisfying Thursday evening.
     
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  4. astroevan

    astroevan Well-Known Member

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    I find it a little surprising that Fulham have not won against Chelsea over the last 22 matches (14 defeats, 8 draws). I would say that Fulham are due and agree that this is the best opportunity of late. The absence of Mitrovic is clearly the biggest story but it's still possible if the defense can stand tall and Fulham play with energy and intent.

    I really liked what I saw of Solomon last match. He certainly looked exciting on the ball and had a couple runs where he left the defenders grasping at emptiness. I doubt he's ready for a full run out but bringing him in off the bench to cause some chaos would be entertaining. I hope that Bobby, Reed, and Andreas got fully rested but I would guess that their tanks are fairly drained.

    The next four matches are going to give Fulham a strong indication of how well they can hold their position in the table. I'm a bit of a pessimist though and think four points are probably likely. Any more than that and I'll be a dancing banana.
     
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  5. jumpkutz

    jumpkutz Well-Known Member

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  6. daddude7

    daddude7 Well-Known Member

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    Very happy to have been wrong. About a lot, including Vinicius. He’s still not as dangerous as Mitro, but I was surprised at how well he made space for the other players. The goal looked routine, but they aren’t easy.

    Kurzawa will get to start against Newcastle. Probably not a terrible drop off from Jedi, provided he’s fit. Silva will have to decide whether to risk injuries to tired players and start an unchanged team, or rest some and rotate. I think he’ll stick with the formula, but we may see subs earlier.
     
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  7. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

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    Ah.. Dancing Banana never gets old!
     
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  8. MicahMan

    MicahMan Administrator

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    What a legendary performance for Fulham! One of my favorite nights as a Fulham fan. The highlights!


    This was an incredibly entertaining match with both teams making plenty of chances. Felix looked so dangerous I was shocked that Chelsea didn't have a goal in the first half. I was shocked that there was only one goal between the teams. Things were so fluid, after Chelsea scored I had do doubt there would be another score from someone.

    Things felt like they were scripted - this couldn't have been real. Willian scores against his old team. The new Chelsea man gets sent off. Fulham's frustrated #2 striker finally gets a goal and its a winner - what will become a memorable goal in Fulham lore.

    Overall this was a really great team performance. I could say something positive about every Fulham player who took the pitch. Leno kept Fulham in the match when it seemed Chelsea would certainly score. Robinson kept getting crosses in. Tosin made some key defensive plays. Pereira had a fantastic assist. Wilson and Cairney brought life back into Fulham when it seemed 10-man Chelsea might get a short-handed winner.

    Finally, a big thank-you to Marco Silva for making nights like this possible for Fulham.
     
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  9. MicahMan

    MicahMan Administrator

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    GJ's take on the goals:
     
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  10. jumpkutz

    jumpkutz Well-Known Member

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    It’s pretty amazing. Everybody on the planet knows…KNOWS…that Willian is going to cut inside from the left flank onto his right foot, yet he still manages to do it time and time again. Thankfully his old team forgot. Agree that everybody put in above average shifts. Vinicius did a credible job throughout performing the thankless hold up chore, and earned his excellent goal. But for me the co-MOTM’s were our Brazilian midfielders, Pereira and Palhinha. They were all over the pitch regardless of who had the ball. Pereira’s cross for Vinicius was delicious. In fact the crosses and free kicks were generally tasty all match.
    But let’s be honest…it just finally feels great to BEAT THE **** DOG TRACKERS!!
     
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  11. stlouisbrad

    stlouisbrad Well-Known Member

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    Had to wait until 8 p.m. to watch it after avoiding the score. Worth the wait!
     
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  12. MicahMan

    MicahMan Administrator

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    Because you can't get enough about this match!
     
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  13. daddude7

    daddude7 Well-Known Member

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    I'm 100% sure that Brazil would be happy to adopt Palhinha. :) What a baller. I agree; our midfield is what decided the game.

    Also, Leno. He saves what he has no right to, and gives the defenders in front of him more confidence. Rodak is a good keeper, but Leno came in and has shown us what a difference a world-class keeper makes. He opened my eyes to this, at least, because before the season I thought Rodak had a chance to win the job. Nope.

    I'm still keeping my expectations for Newcastle low, but I'm not basing that on our lopsided loss to them this season. That was thanks to Chalobah's early red. They are a strong and well-coached team. Too bad they had to take blood money to do get there. It would give me immense satisfaction if we beat them, enough to break my damp January resolution in celebration.
     
    #13
  14. jumpkutz

    jumpkutz Well-Known Member

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    Oops. Palhinha is, indeed, Portuguese. And I gotta believe that if Fernando Santos had given him more than a paltry 41-1/2 minutes on the pitch in Qatar, Portugal might...might...have fared better.

    And I intended to mention Leno as well. Strongly agree. He's been much better than I think anyone really thought he would be. He reminds me of an observation made eons ago during an Atlanta Flames broadcast by one Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion. The Flames, like the Braves, were on WTBS and cable often back in the day. They weren't very good for most of that time before relocating to Calgary. Their goaltender would inevitably face a lot of shots most nights, with a rare positive result. When they did manage to win one night, Boom Boom excitedly told viewers "OHH, DAT DANNY BOO-SHARRR!!!! DA' MORE PUCK HE STOP, DA' BETTER HE GET!!!" Leno's had his fair share of action this season, but he's been more than up to the task...the difference is WE'RE WINNING!!!
     
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  15. SoCalJoe

    SoCalJoe Well-Known Member

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    Couldn’t sleep, went downstairs at 4:30 am, turned on the Peacock replay..Didn’t hear my wife get up until ‘How many times are you gonna watch that?’…4 top flight wins in a row since 1966 is amazing.
     
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