The most local of our local derbies will take place by the Thames on Saturday and as the anticipation builds, we have the major facts and figures ahead of the Fulham game...
Chelsea are unbeaten in the league against Fulham in 18 games since our 1-0 defeat at Craven Cottage in March 2006.
That defeat is Fulham’s only victory against us in 33 games in a run going back to 1979 when we were in the old Second Division.
Chlesea are going for six straight league wins against the Cottagers for the first time since half-a-dozen successive victories between 1950 and 1960.
We are also hoping to extend our unbeaten league run at Craven Cottage to 10 games (six wins, three draws in the previous nine games).
Biggest league win for each team
Chelsea 4-0 Fulham 1925/26, 1983/84
Fulham 3-1 Chelsea 1976/77
Chelsea’s biggest league win at Fulham is 4-1 in 2004/05
Last time out at Craven Cottage
FULHAM 1 CHELSEA 2
Premier League, Craven Cottage, 03.03.19, 2.05pm
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Rico; Odoi, Nordtveit, Ream, Bryan; Chambers, McDonald (Anguissa 62); Babel (Ayite 71), Cairney (c) (Vietto 80), R Sessegnon; Mitrovic
Unused subs Fabri, Le Marchand, Christie, Seri
Caretaker manager Scott Parker
Booked Chambers 22, McDonald 51
Scorer Chambers 27
Chelsea (4-3-3): Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta (c), Rüdiger, Christensen, Emerson; Kanté, Jorginho (Kovacic 68), Barkley (Loftus-Cheek 78); Willian, Higuain, Hazard (Pedro 73)
Unused subs Caballero, David Luiz, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud
Head coach Maurizio Sarri
Booked Jorginho 61
Scorers Higuain 20, Jorginho 31
Referee Graham Scott
Attendance 24,900
Chelsea stats
Frank Lampard’s side have scored 11 goals this season from headers, the same number we managed in the whole of last season.
Premier League scorers
Abraham 6, Werner 4, Zouma 4, Giroud 3, Jorginho 3 (3 pens), Chilwell 2, Hudson-Odoi 2, Thiago Silva 2, Havertz 1, James 1, Mount 1, Pulisic 1, Ziyech 1, own-goals 1
Milestones
Fulham stats
This season in the Premier League
Most appearances: Anguissa 16, Areola 15, De Cordova-Reid 15
Most goals: De Cordova-Reid 4, Cavaleiro 2, Lookman 2, Mitrovic 2
Most assists: Lookman 3, Mitrovic 2, Anguissa 2
Most clean sheets: Areola 3
The Cottagers are 18th with 12 points from 16 games, three points from being out of the drop zone although they do have two games in hand over some of their rivals.
Fulham’s midweek draw at Tottenham was their first point in their past 14 Premier League London derbies.
Fulham have drawn their last five Premier League games, their longest such run since January 2007 (six games).
Only Man Utd (11) and Man City (eight) are currently on a longer unbeaten run in the competition.
They are unbeaten in six games in all competitions since their 2-1 defeat at Man City on 5 December.
Both Fulham’s Premier League victories this term came in November, against West Brom at home and away at Leicester.
The Cottagers have kept three home clean sheets in the Premier League this season, as many as they did at Craven Cottage in the whole of their last top-flight campaign in 2018/19.
They have conceded three goals since November in their past six games in all competitions.
Fulham have won six points from their eight home games this term.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is ineligible to play against his parent club but Fulham also have Chelsea old boys Scott Parker, Ola Aina and Michael Hector.
Scott Parker’s managerial record against Chelsea
Won 0
Drawn 0
Lost 1
Premier League scorers
De Cordova-Reid 4, Cavaleiro 2 (1 pen), Lookman 2, Mitrovic 2 (1 pen), Aina 1, Cairney 1, Loftus-Cheek 1, own-goal 1
Fulham’s last Premier League game
Wednesday 13 January
Tottenham 1 Fulham 1
Team (3-4-1-2): Areola; Aina, Andersen (c), Adarabioyo; Tete (Lookman 67), Reed, Anguissa, Robinson; Loftus-Cheek (Onomah 90+1); De Cordova-Reid, Cavaleiro (Kamara 86)
Booked: Anguissa, Andersen
Scorer: Cavaleiro 74
Who moved to Fulham in the summer?
Tosin Adarabioyo - Manchester City
Ola Aina - Torino, loan
Joachim Andersen - Lyon, loan
Alphonse Areola - Paris Saint-Germain, loan
Terence Kongolo - Huddersfield
Mario Lemina - Southampton, loan
Ruben Loftus-Cheek - Chelsea, loan
Ademola Lookman - RB Leipzig, loan
Harrison Reed - Southampton
Antonee Robinson - Wigan
Kenny Tete - Lyon
There have been no ins or outs in the January window.
Discipline
Chelsea: Kante 5, James 3, Azpilicueta 2, Mount 2, Thiago Silva 2, Alonso 1, Chilwell 1, Christensen 1, Giroud 1, Havertz 1, Kovacic 1, Pulisic 1, Ziyech 1, Zouma 1
Fulham: De Cordova-Reid 4, Andersen 3, Anguissa 3, Robinson 3, Cairney 2, Hector 2, Le Marchand 2, Lookman 2, Mitrovic 2, Reed 2, Adarabioyo 1, Bryan 1, Cavaleiro 1, Kamara 1, Lemina 1, Loftus-Cheek 1, Odoi 1, Tete 1
Referee and VAR
Referee: Peter Bankes
VAR: Jarred Gillett
Peter Bankes is the official for his second Chelsea match this season and third overall. He was the ref in our 3-3 draw with Southampton in October.