Chelsea’s extended tour of the capital from the start of season takes us back to Stamford Bridge for a west London derby against neighbours Fulham. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton look ahead to Saturday's lunchtime kick-off.
Last season Enzo Maresca’s men won every game played in the Saturday lunchtime slot – 3-0 at West Ham United in September, 2-1 at Leicester City in November, and 1-0 at home to Everton in April.
This is Fulham’s fourth campaign since their most recent promotion (their second-longest stay among the elite) and the fifth under Portuguese head coach Marco Silva.
While Chelsea had a clear week to prepare for this grudge match, the Whites were in action on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, beating Championship side Bristol City 2-0.
Unbeaten in 11 Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge in 2025 (eight of them wins), Chelsea have claimed more league doubles against this Saturday’s visitors (15) than any other opposition.
For the second season running, the Blues followed a blank opening day at the Bridge with five or more goals next time out. Last season it was 6-2 at Wolves, a week ago it was a club record 5-1 win at West Ham.
A second successive league victory would ease the world champions back to the top of the table – for a few hours at least – and set a high marker heading into the international break.
Goals and assists in all competitions
Goals | Assists | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | |
1 | 0 | 1 | |
1 | 0 | 1 | |
1 | 0 | 1 | |
1 | 0 | 1 | |
0 | 1 | 1 | |
Estevao Willian | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The history
The four teams that make up the west London derbies are Chelsea, Brentford, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers.
The Blues have only met the Bees in the top tier, beginning in 1935/36, making it the senior west London clash in the first division. Both first meetings ended in 2-1 wins for the hosts.
League encounters with the Rs came much later, following their promotion to Division One in 1968. The Kings of the King’s Road dominated the new boys with a double – 2-1 (again) at the Bridge and 4-0 at Loftus Road, Tommy Baldwin claiming four goals in total. That league fixture has not been played since 2014/15.
Originally styled ‘the Fulham Derby’, the opening exchanges in this weekend’s fixture came in 1910/11 in Division Two, but the first time the Pensioners and Cottagers were in the top tier together was the 1949/50 season.
Both matches were drawn – 0-0 at the Bridge, 1-1 at the Cottage – but the following season Willie Birrell’s boys secured home and away victories in what were described as ‘needle matches’.
Teenage former junior Bobby Smith pounced for the opener in December 1950 at the Bridge and Benny Jones whacked in a late second for 2-0, while Ken Armstrong’s brace secured a 2-1 comeback on the Thames embankment in April 1951 – the third of Chelsea’s remarkable four successive wins to avoid relegation.
Chelsea’s record of Premier League home success against Fulham (57.5 per cent) is our fourth best behind Brighton & Hove Albion (70 per cent), Sunderland (66.67 per cent) and Newcastle United (60.76 per cent).
Among league teams who have met quite regularly, none has a lower loss rate than the Blues (8.3 per cent) against our next-door neighbours (three in 36 matches).
The Boxing Day defeat to two late goals – after Cole Palmer established an early lead – was Chelsea’s first at home to the Cottagers in the top flight since March 1964, by the same 2-1 scoreline.
More recently, the Blues gained revenge on 20 April 2025 at the Cottage – again by two goals to one – Tyrique George contributing the late leveller and Pedro Neto a spectacular winner.
Premier League west London derbies
Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | Points | Points per game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chelsea | 58 | 31 | 18 | 9 | +36 | 111 | 1.91 |
Brentford | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | +6 | 19 | 1.36 |
QPR | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | -16 | 16 | 0.89 |
Fulham | 46 | 9 | 12 | 25 | -26 | 39 | 0.85 |
Know this...
Chelsea’s 5-1 comeback last time out delivered our biggest ever victory at West Ham, the previous best being 4-0 in March 2008.
The Blues were overnight leaders of the Premier League table for the first time since 4 December 2021 – a status coincidentally ended by defeat to the Hammers that day.
At 18 years and 120 days, Estevao Willian became the youngest Chelsea player ever to assist a goal in the Premier League. Should he do so against Fulham, the Brazilian will become the youngest at any club to have set up goals in successive appearances.
Chelsea's youngest Premier League assist makers
Estevao Willian vs West Ham, 22 August 2025, 18 years and 120 days
Callum Hudson-Odoi vs Brighton, 3 April 2019, 18 years and 147 days
Neil Shipperley vs Wimbledon, 12 April 1993, 18 years and 164 days
Jon Harley vs Derby, 5 April 1998, 18 years and 191 days
Lucas Piazon vs Aston Villa, 23 December 2012, 18 years and 338 days
Romelu Lukaku vs Blackburn, 13 May 2012, 19 years and 0 days
Tyrique George vs Southampton, 25 Februray 2025, 19 years and 21 days
Jody Morris vs Bolton, 10 May 1998, 19 years and 139 days
Carlton Cole vs Man City, 22 Match 2003, 19 years and 161 days
Sam Dalla Bona vs Coventry, 21 October 2000, 19 years and 258 days
Joao Pedro is on a run of six goals in seven appearances across all competitions for the Londoners.
For only the second Premier League game on record, three of the Blues’ goals derived from corners. The previous occasion was a 4-3 win at home to Watford in May 2017.
This is the last action before the first FIFA break of the season, with further international fixtures to come in October, November and March.