Fulham v Chelsea: Premier League – live

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This is Chelsea’s first league game since the sad death of the adorable Gianluca Vialli, and the players have gathered round the centre circle to pay tribute with a minute’s applause. Finding someone with a bad word to say about Vialli is needle/haystack territory.

“Thanks for the concern; a strep infection which is being treated with heavy duty antibiotics, and yes, I’m much better,” says Richard Hirst. “On football matters,I look at the strength of Chelsea’s bench and I can’t help feel that sympathy for their injury ‘predicament’ is a bit over the top. Not the weakest bench I’ve ever seen.”

Well, they have just bought four players, which helps, but they are still missing some irreplaceables. I know it was only an hour at home to Bournemouth, but they looked a different team going forward when Reece James played. Very glad to hear you’re okay; strep sounds thoroughly unpleasant.

“Setting aside that Graham Potter surely knew what he was getting himself into, him saying that managing Chelsea is the hardest job in football is brilliant,” says Matt Burtz. “Succeed, and you’re automatically the best manager in the world. Fail, and you’re expected to because it’s impossible to succeed. It’s win win!”

I didn’t like that comment. Potter is normally so considered and amiable and, though that hasn’t really changed, there have been a few little signs that it’s getting to him. I felt strongly at the time that he should wait for Arsenal or Spurs rather than go to Chelsea, because there are so many risks with that club and it was likely to be his only big job unless he succeeded.

Potter may have had assurances from Todd Boehly, but that’s only part of the story – as we’re seeing now, the media and a fanbase conditioned to instant gratification can make life very uncomfortable. I really hope it works out but I’m losing faith.

Relationship status: it’s complicated

“We are probably lucky QPR aren’t in the PL, or Chelsea might well be fourth in the West London League,” says Julian Menz. “As for the teams: are you sure it’s Azpilicueta and not Chalobah at right wing-back?”

I’m never sure about anything, least of all a Graham Potter formation, but that’s how I expect them to line up. This graphic supports that idea, though I’ve noticed a few clubs have started peddling tactical disinformation on their team graphics. What is the world coming to.

GP on JF

“Lying in a hospital room in SW France with the MBM to keep me company,” says our resident Fulham fan Richard Hirst. “I was hoping for three points to stimulate further improvement, but without Mitro I am trepidatious, and right now would bite your hand off for a non-stimulating 0-0. Still, I am sure I can rely on Dr Rob for sympathetic company.”

Oof, sorry to hear that. Are you okay?

Whether it’s fair or not (it’s not), Graham Potter is under increasing external pressure at Chelsea. If they lose tonight, the noise might become insufferable.

(trænzɪʃən )

1. VARIABLE NOUN

Transition is the process in which something changes from one state to another.

Team news: Joao Felix starts

Marco Silva makes one enforced change to the Fulham team that won their last Premier League game at Leicester. Carlos Vinicius replaces the suspended Aleksandar Mitrovic up front.

Chelsea’s big loan signing Joao Felix goes straight into the starting line-up, and, with Graham Potter switching to a back three, the impressive teenager Lewis Hall is preferred to Marc Cucurella at left wing-back.

Overall there are four changes from Chelsea’s previous league game, the defeat at home to Manchester City a week ago. Hall, Joao Felix, Trevoh Chalobah and Mason Mount replace Cucurella Hakim Ziyech and the injured pair of Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic.

Fulham (4-2-3-1) Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Cordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian; Vinicius.
Substitutes: Rodak, Kurzawa, Diop, Chalboah, Harris, Cairney, Wilson, James, Solomon.

Chelsea (3-4-2-1) Kepa; Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly; Azpilicueta, Zakaria, Kovacic, Hall; Mount, Joao Felix; Havertz.
Substitutes: Bettinelli, Cucurella, Badiashile, Chukwuemeka, Jorginho, Gallagher, Ziyech, Aubameyang, Fofana.

Referee David Coote.

Preamble

What do we have here then? A west London derby in which Fulham are the pre-eminent team in SW6, that’s what. They begin tonight’s game in seventh, three places and three points ahead of Chelsea, who are in danger of winning the transfer window and losing everything else. The last time Fulham started a league game against Chelsea in a higher position was 2 April 1983*, a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage in the old Division Two.

All the pre-match talk has been, a little tediously, about whether Graham Potter should be sacked for his inability to build Rome in half an hour. Marco Silva knows all about P45s, having been sacked by Sporting Lisbon, Watford and Everton, but there was always a lot to like about his management and he has quietly done a spectacular job at Craven Cottage.

Fulham won the Championship in his first season, scoring 106 goals in the process, and have held their own against allcomers in the Premier League. Their late defeats at Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United were all unfortunate, and the only time they took a pasting was when they had 10 men for most of a 4-1 defeat at home to Newcastle. They have won all four games since Qatar, whereas Chelsea have lost seven of the last nine and are without almost an entire team of senior players.

I was going to say that, even without the suspended Aleksandar Mitrovic, Fulham will be provide a stiff test for Chelsea. But given the league positions and recent form, we should probably be assessing that the other way round.

Kick off 8pm.

* I think. Look, I checked it once and I might have made a mistake but I don’t have time to go back over 40 years of league tables again, okay. This is a blog, your honour, not a judicial review!